The Dimensional Traveler: Volume 2
by GREKy the GREK
Summary: Leanbox, 3 years after events of volume 1. Mysterious V sets out on a quest to discover the truth behind an incident, which reminiscence disrupted his special life.
1. Chapter 1

**The Dimensional Traveler (FanFicDimension Neptunia) Vol.2**

 **Chapter 1. Green Heart**

"From all the times it had to happen now…" CPU Green Heart sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Even though she would rather currently be elsewhere, as a goddess, she had her duties to perform no matter what.

Green Heart cared a lot about her people and when she learnt about this tragedy, she immediately rushed to solve the issue. Considering what was going on, she knew that only a goddess could handle it, so despite slowly raising in Leanbox festive mood, she headed out straight to the belonging to a company called Trinity factory, which had been overrun by produced by them robots. To her, it was still a mystery why the machines rebelled against its creators, however, saving endangered lives of trapped inside workers was a priority number one. The rest would surely reveal itself on the way.

The goddess lowered herself to the level of surrounding the complex walls. Although they weren't exactly the highest point of the facility, she could still take a good look around. Trinity was one of the most prominent companies of her nation, so it was no big wonder that even though it wasn't their main quarter, grounds of this factory were still rather spacious.

Trinity wasn't only researching and developing robots of military use, but also, those for civilians, starting from simple kitchen ones, even to robotic maids. "There are so many of them…" Green Heart carefully scanned through the area. It seemed that most of the targets were special unmanned military units - Stratos. "Just when did they produce all of these?" According to the delivered to the Basilicom report, they should have been still being tested, so the number of working units wasn't making much sense. It was way too risky to create the entire line without being sure of the final adjustments. Green Heart made a mental note to pursue the matter later.

If hundreds of these Stratoses were to leave the factory and roam into inhabited neighborhood, it would result in a disaster. The goddess was afraid of even imagining the outcome, so for that reason, she made up her mind and decided to stop them right here, at all cost. But how? She might have been a CPU, however, even she had very low chances against this many alone. "Maybe I should call others for help?" She wondered, waging her options. Doing so would take too long, thus worrying about working here people and those who could be harmed in future, Green Heart rejected this idea. Besides, she was certain they had their hands full with their own problems…

Therefore, she could depend only on herself to defeat those machines. "Alright, I should probe them first." The goddess of Leanbox prepared her spear and entered a battle stance. She was getting ready for a quick sortie to test how the enemy would react, however, at that moment she noticed a dark figure falling down from the roof of the main building.

For a second, CPU Green Heart froze. "That couldn't be a person, could it?" Did somebody lose their hope and decided to end it this way? There was no way… There should be at least 50 employees trapped there, so others wouldn't let their colleague commit suicide, would they? But unquestionably, that had to be a human being. Green Heart was aware of the fact she wouldn't make it in time to catch them. Even though the building was a skyscraper with 15 floors, the distance between it and her location was far too great, not to mention the reaction time. At this point, all what Green Heart could do was to be an idle spectator, watching how the figure dropped into the sea of Stratoses…

"What?!" The goddess opened her mouth in disbelief. She didn't expect to see what happened afterwards and was dumbfounded by the sudden shockwave, which knocked all of the robots into the air. In an instant, half of the Stratoses were already destroyed, even before their sensors could properly activate. Apparently, this seemingly suicidal jump turned out to be an ambush from the least predictable direction. And how was this person still alive? Were they really human? Green Heart might have been a goddess, but even she was hardly able to follow movements of such speed. She could only see a dim black trail which cut through each of the enemies one after another.

In such style, before remains of the fallen Stratoses dropped on the ground, three fourth of them were already defeated. "Incredible…" Though she was caught a bit off guard, she couldn't help but to feel impressed. Whoever they were, their strength was on the whole new level, far exceeding the power of goddesses. Eventually, the figure landed in the middle of the courtyard and stopped, allowing Green Heart to take a quick look on their back. They wore a humbly decorated with a reminding multiple letter 'V' pattern dark cape, which hood was making it harder to determine their gender. Because of the angle, there wasn't much else she could notice besides a sword in their right hand. However, why did they stop like that? There were still more of the active Stratoses and it was impossible they didn't know that as well. Then, the person raised their hand and flicked their fingers.

The air around them erupted and an explosion finished off the remaining machines. At this point, Green Heart wasn't surprised in the slightest to see them use magic. Given the overall performance it felt only natural. "Just who are they?" When the surrounding cleared, they were still in the same spot. "Should I engage them?" She pondered, feeling an uncontrollable urge to talk to this mysterious warrior. But at that moment, they turned halfway in her direction, revealing a covering the whole face white beak mask with dark elements.

Their gazes met. For a second Green Heart forgot to breathe as she noticed something strange in their eyes although she couldn't name what. She was clueless about how to act and blankly stared until they fixed their glove, sending a clear sign – the show was over. "Please, wait!" Green Heart desperately called out when the masked vigilante dashed off towards one of the buildings and climbed its roof, eventually disappearing on the other side of the structure. The goddess of Leanbox decided to follow, however, by the time she made it there, they were nowhere to be found. Only six green roses remained, placed in a shape of V.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2. Sunshine**

There was something extremely satisfying about running on the rooftops – freedom of movement. Unlike those people on the streets, I wasn't restricted anyhow by crowds or traffic and the path only depended on my creativity. Because of that, even travelling to the same goal every day could be entertaining.

The capital of Leanbox was a perfect place to practice parkour. From the roof of a shopping center I jumped down on a balcony of a neighboring house and using a connected to it lighting rod, I slid onto the lower floor, where I bounced from the wall towards the next building and climbed a small wall. Now it was time to cross the street. With a short running start, I gracefully hopped on the top of the high voltage pole. I didn't have to be concerned with being electrocuted as my boots had a proper upgrade to them.

Thanks to that, I could walk on the lines like if it was nothing, only focusing on keeping my balance. In such style, I smoothly reached my destination, so I dropped from the height on the roof of a certain shop and then, onto the stone pavement in front of the entrance. 'Sunshine' – that was the name of the store, where you could buy pretty much everything – from daily necessities to weaponry and magic items, however, the offer didn't end there. Feeling confident, I opened the door and followed by a sound of a fixed to it bell, walked inside.

Considering the hour, the number of customers wasn't surprising. During late evenings, only stragglers and night shifters could have been seen doing shopping as most of the other people preferred to go straight home and rest. In other words, just a couple of teenagers and a guy in a similar to mine black outfit were still inside. As those first were in the jewelry section, I ignored them, though the latter caught my attention for a moment. The overly enthusiastic way he was browsing through the rack of short swords kind of reminded me how I was choosing my first weapon, so deciding not to distract him, I walked straight towards the counter.

Of course, the shop owner wasn't there when I needed him. After a quick scan through the surrounding I spotted him, wondering how I haven't earlier. He was busy with those youngsters, so I guessed, I had to wait a little. Since I couldn't have known how long would this 'little' be, I sat down on the chair and burrowed my face next to the cash register.

"So shleeeepy…" I yawned and stretched a bit. Working was tiring, no, working was exhausting, however, some jobs wouldn't be done if 'special' individuals like me were too lazy. For the sake of a greater goal, I had to suck it up, even though I didn't exactly feel like doing anything. Damn it. Could I just go back home already? I haven't been there for a while, so it was probably a good idea to show up soon. It wasn't like someone was dying to see me there, but still…

"Behave. We're not alone here." Before I had a chance to doze off, the shop owner came to me. "Yo." I greeted him without getting up. As a matter of fact, I didn't need to bother with that to see this balding gentleman in early 40s although that wasn't important now. "The usual and you won't see me for a while, Uncle." I made the request. Despite the fact I have just addressed him per Uncle, we weren't an actual family. That was just a nickname given to him by the leader of the organization we were both members of – the Order. By ranks I could have been branded as a special executive, while he was responsible for gathering intel in Leanbox and controlled the net of our connections in this nation. With a completely generic appearance as his, Uncle was a perfect man for this job as he didn't stand out in the slightest. More to that, I wasn't even sure I knew his real name, though it might have been unrelated…

"Anyway, job's done?" He asked, lowering his voice. The risk of being overheard was quite low, however, better safe than sorry. "I guess? Unless I went to the wrong factory. From the briefing I got, I expected something superb, yet those mechas genuinely sucked. No, they were pure shit." Actually, even though I went for spectacularism, rather than effectiveness while handling the targets, I didn't note any problems. For me it was a piece of a cake and I wasn't exaggerating. "Any more comments?" Uncle asked impatiently. "Oh, yeah. CPU Green Heart was there too…" And her boobs were as huge as rumors claimed. Nonetheless, the size of her bust wasn't her only good side. I would even dare to say, she was a beauty with body and looks befitting a title of a goddess.

"What did you do?" Uncle's interrogation reminded me to stop this internal admiration. "Cleared the stage before she could steal my spotlight, duh. You know, I'll always finish my work no matter what." "That's why I'm worried. You tend to show off too much. You didn't do anything stupid later, did you?" He inquired in a grave serious tone. For whom did he take me for? I wasn't an idiot who would go in without carefully planning and predicting every possible outcome, but I kind of understood his point of view. If a CPU was to investigate the Order, things would have complicated. To cast Uncle's worries away, I decided not to mention the parting gift I left for Green Heart. On the side note, I hoped she liked them.

"Of course, not. Have some faith in me." "Then give me some reason to. Ever since you showed up those couple of months ago, things are always getting hectic…" Yet I was under impression Uncle didn't believe in my answer. "Just in case, I'll report it and consult the next move. Until we see how she reacted, you should stay low and avoid any reckless stunts. Got it?" He gazed at me with eyes full of pity. I pondered whether this emotion was directed at me or at himself, since he had to deal with someone as troublesome as me. "Sure. I'm not a moron. I'll never risk being discovered." "Good to hear. Now, be right back." Uncle said in the normal volume and walked away to the warehouse.

On top of being a base of operations for me, Sunshine was also where I would resupply. Starting with basic equipment, to potions and magic artifacts I used to experiment on in my free time. On one hand, I thought of it as a hobby, while in fact, it additionally supplemented my main job since everything I currently I had on me was produced and enchanted with my own hands. At first, I began with small objects, like knifes or arrows and eventually, I reached the level on which I was able to complete the whole set of armor and a long sword, steadily keeping on upgrading it. Wasn't I just a man of many talents? Being self-sufficient had many benefits, even though opportunities for me to enjoy them were scarce. What if I was living a normal life? Would I be happier going to a regular school, outing with friends, dating an ordinary nice girl? Being born this way, all I knew was fighting. I wasn't even certain when and how it started, but thinking about it only gave me a headache. I shouldn't be bothering with such theories. Nothing would change my sealed fate.

Getting lost in thoughts I forgot about the passionate customer in black, who apparently made up his mind and ready to make the purchase, slowly came closer to the counter. "Please wait a moment for the owner. He will be here shortly." I informed him, trying to prevent myself from yawning again. Because I called out to him when he should have been out of my vision field, the client slightly flinched and answered in a startled voice. "O-okay. Thanks."

"Never mind. It's too boring." Once he lined a few steps behind me, I suddenly leapt over the counter and faced him. "I kind of work here too, so I can serve you as well. So, how can I help you?" "I will have two of these swords, please." This time he wasn't caught off guard and calmly responded. "Alright. Feel free to bring the products here." He nodded and after a few seconds, returned. "Dual wielding? Are you perhaps taking part in that famed event?" "No… I mean, yeah. But those blades aren't for it though." "I see. Thinking about it now, I remember hearing they are supplying swords on their own this year." "Yup. That's correct. How about you? Did you sign in too?" "Me? Do I look like someone who would stand a chance?" I laughed while finalizing the transaction into the register. "Well, you won't know unless you try. Tomorrow is the last day, so you should at least consider." "Good point. I'll give it a thought. And here's your change. Thank you for your patronage." Giving a polite bow, I saw the guy in black off the shop.

Even though I have been advised to avoid raising any more unnecessary attention, the conversation from yesterday tempted me into participation. And who wouldn't have been interested if the prize was 15 million credits? Well, that wasn't my motivation. Unlike the majority of other contestants, I couldn't care less about cash. That was a privilege I earned thanks to those special tasks I took care of. Neither fame was in my mind, so what for I was signing in? Frankly, it sounded like fun, not to mention there wasn't anything else I could kill time with at the moment.

I might have already been in the area of Leanbox Basilicom once or twice, however, today was the first actual official occasion. As a person who usually did as he wished, I had to admit behaving properly turned out to be more of a challenge than I predicted. Those ques were just ridiculous! It was a freaking miracle that Basilicoms were always filled with people at any hour. Or maybe… What if CPUs were hiring actors to create fake crowds? Or we were inside of a game and those clients were just NPCs who would vanish and respawn after reaching a certain point? Tu tu tu. Dramatic drums accompanied my solving of one of the Gamindustri's seven mysteries.

Anyway, I probably should orient a little, so I wouldn't waste here a whole day. Hmmm… Where could it be? Perhaps under this banner with 'Grand Tourney of Leanbox' written on it? But why was it such a hard to spot stand? Since it was a well-known even in other nations contest, I was kind of surprised to see something that humble. Although it was fine with me, as I could just walk there without standing around.

"Good morning. I'm interested in joining the tournament. Is it the right place?" I greeted the young woman sitting on the opposite side of the table. To be honest, she was quite cute and most likely, still single, however, that wasn't why I came here. "Y-you what? I'm sorry, I mean, how can I help you?" Nearly like if she was shocked by my question, she dropped the pen she was holding between her lips and dove under the desk to catch it. "I'm interested in signing in for the tourney. Am I too late?" I repeated, watching her short brown ponytail swaying left and right as she got up. "No, no, of course, not! It's just I was surprised since they said no one else would show up." Was it really something you should be telling me though? I probably should use this opportunity and learn some details.

"Huh? Why is that? Did something happen?" "Haven't you heard rumors about Black Knight?" "Sorry. Can you tell me more about that?" Some urban legend? It was getting even more and more worth of my time. "Apologies, but I may be fired if I scare away more of contestants." She hesitantly avoided my gaze. "Don't worry. I'm braver than I look. I promise I won't change my decision no matter what is it. Besides how could I lie to someone as pretty as you?" A standard complement should do the trick. If I wasn't lucky enough to be handsome, I wouldn't have been able to pull this off that smoothly.

"I see… If that's a promise then I guess it can't be helped…" As predicted, cheeks of the public servant turned red as she discretely looked around and then, leaned forward. "Back then I didn't pay much attention to the tournament, but even I heard the name of Black Knight. He is the champion from two years ago, who mercilessly cut through all of his enemies and won all duels without being hit once. One of my colleagues told me, he returned this year and the word about it got out. Some people had even withdrawn." Was it the end? Ugh, why did I get my hopes up? "Okay, thanks. Now then…" "Wait! Didn't you…?!" She panicked seeing me getting up. "Heh, just kidding. I'm not going anywhere. Can I have a registration form, or something like that?" "Uff… You had me there. Of course, here it is." She hurriedly passed a piece of paper and a brand-new ball pen to me, so all I could do was to look into it at once.

Frankly, I haven't thought it would be that easy. I just had to fill five simple columns and pay a registration fee afterwards. Alright, let's get down to the business. The first line stated 'Name'. "Excuse me? Do I have to use my real one or is a nickname enough?" Apparently, it turned a bit complicated for me, so I had to ask for assistance. "Let me double check… It seems there's nothing against it in the rules. Because this data is mainly for the sake of starting lists and later, for broadcasters. That's why most of the contestants aren't using nicknames. Besides Black Knight, there had been only several cases like that from what I was told." Good to know. Even if I were to write down my real name, because of its length I was sure it would have been taken as a fake one anyway. The person who named me V must have really hated me or simply forgot about the remaining letters. Maybe I was supposed to be Victor? Who knew…? Again, I allowed myself to be carried away. For this competition I probably should go with something made up from the scratch, but what though? 'Joker'? It had a quite cool ring about it and to some degree, it matched with my personality and skill.

Okay, next one… Age. Yet again, the truth was rather unbelievable – I was three years old, however, my body could be compared to someone around 22, so I guessed this should do the trick and moved onto the next point – nation. I wasn't affiliated with any of them, so I left a horizontal line there, hoping there wouldn't be any official problems due to that fact. A question about a dominant hand? Well, to me such concept didn't apply as I could use both left and right on the identical level, so I just marked the latter at random.

"Qualification groups?" The final rubric surprised me. Perhaps I should have done some research before coming here but luckily, a detailed explanation followed up. "Qualifications are being held on two initial days of the tournament. Participants are going to compete against each other and the winner, who triumphs in the highest number of duels will advance as the representant of the group to finals. Those are going to take place on the day four." "Sounds logical. Which ones are still open?" "1 and 16." "Then I'll go into 1." "Very well. Have you finished?" "Yes. And here's the fee." I handed the form back and placed the sufficient amount of credits on the desk. "Mister, about…" The girl tried to stop me by waving another paper, however, I pretended not to notice it.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Do you like lilies?" "Huh? I guess…" She answered in bewilderment. "I like them too. Beautiful flowers they are… May I?" I grasped her hand and gently touched her slender fingers. In spite of being embarrassed, she didn't protest. "Whoa…" She gasped when a pink lily materialized in front of her eyes. "This is a token of appreciation for your hard work. Thank you for everything." I said without breaking eye contact and snapped the page out of her grasp. Because of my performance some of the passing by people began to watch, so I should disappear asap or they might memorize my face. Despite the fact I came here casually dressed, I still didn't wish to be later recognized in the wrong place, at the wrong time. "Now then, farewell…" Using the moment of confusion, I vanished in the crowd with something which turned out to be a group 1 schedule.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3. Finals – Part 1.**

Qualifications were fast and boring, however, my instant-win tactic successfully managed to elevate the name Joker into the number one subject of gossips and unquestionable favorite to claim the title of this year's champion. That was why instead of those 'who-is-that-weirdo' looks I received from fellow participants on the first day, now everyone was wary of me and didn't dare to approach, making my presence even more distinctive inside of this waiting room.

Even though there was still more than an hour before the official start, all 16 of the qualification groups winners had already gathered. For some, it was surely a huge accomplishment and a great honor to be among the best of the best but personally, I didn't care. In a fight to the last breath I could defeat them all even if they banded together against me, so it was nothing more than a formality before my triumph. Truth to be told, since I already knew that, I didn't feel like taking part in this event anymore although there was still something keeping me from dropping out – Black Knight. I wanted to face them on the arena and crush his myth, however, I was unlucky enough to be placed on the exact opposite of the ladder and the earliest I could encounter him was the final. Ugh, I should have seen that one coming… Yet from audience's perspective, if the two of us were to clash at the very end, that could make a splendid show, of course assuming this Black Knight was more than a mere legend.

I finished sipping my coffee from the paper cup and threw it into the bin. Time sure flies, I whispered to myself as I checked the clock. Before I realized, it had gotten close to the first duel of the day and I could already hear the voice of the commentator railing up the moods. Soon the spectacle was to begin, so I decided not to let them wait for me and slowly headed towards the gate A from where I was supposed to make my first entrance.

On the way, I checked on my appearance. In order to become Joker, I had to create and maintain a whole new image, so I couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Joker's style was the opposite of V's. Instead of black, I wore everything in white – vest, cape, gloves, even boots and hid my face under the mask. Since Green Heart saw my normal one, I had to modify it a little by removing the beak part. With that, she wouldn't make the connection or at least that was what I hoped for. "Oh, Mr. Joker…" With a perfect timing the door opened upon my arrival. So, that girl from Basilicom was working here today too? It seemed she remembered well our previous meeting as she began to act rather shyly when she saw me. "Your opponent is getting ready as well. We should hurry…" "Yes ma'am." I bowed and then followed her into the corridor.

The arena was connected with the waiting room by two separate tunnels – A and B. As I entered through A, my enemy must have used B but stating that was only obvious. "They are here now, huh?" Apparently, sword racks had been moved inside and placed on both walls. As those weapons were to be used once and then disposed, organizers had to put at least one blade per scheduled battle plus additional selection. "Hmm… This one should do." Without giving it a second thought, I picked the closest one and waved it around. The weapon was surprisingly light, lighter than the regular steel used in qualifications, yet at the same time it felt way more durable. Most likely they learnt their lesson after I shattered 21 swords on the row back then.

"Are you ready?" "Nearly. All I'm missing is your blessing…" "I-I can't… As Basilicom's employee…" The girl hesitated, afraid she would be punished for favoring me but since she was just a normal clerk, she didn't have to be worried because no one would stick their noses into her private affairs. "Is that a no? Then at least will you give me your name? Even if you reject me, I won't change my mind. Though times are now different, I wish to be your knight and fight for the sake of protecting honor of your beauty." I pushed forward. If any other guy would attempt to be that aggressive, they would have instantly become branded as creeps, however, I was special. I always could get what I desired with my words and now I wanted her to be mine. Even though she wasn't anyone important, seducing this woman would open for me new ways to gather intel about goddess' doings.

"Well… Umm… It's Yuri and please do your best!" She eventually spat out and rapidly turned away. On the side note, in the Basilicom I noticed the fragment of her ID sticking out of her pocket, so I already knew that all along. "Thank you, Ms. Yuri. So, it's a promise then…" I walked past her towards the leading to the stage arc and smiled, letting myself be welcomed by countless cheers of the audience.

" **LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HERE COMES THE WINNER OF THE GROUP 1! ONE OF THE BIGGEST SENSATIONS OF THE FIRST STAGE! BY MANY BELIEVED TO BE THE FUTURE CHAMPION. STYLISH AND EXTREMELY SKILLED… JOKER! TODAY, HIS FIRST OPPONENT WILL BE THE VICTOR OF SECOND GROUP – THORIS, THE EMERALD SHIELD OF LOWEE ELITE GUARD.** " An obnoxious voice announced. The hell? This apparent bias made me want to seize the microphone and beat the shit out of this petty commentator until he would understand how things were done. Like, dude… That Thoris fellow didn't get any attention… As a perfectionist and professional I had a hard time accepting such half-assed briefing, but only for a moment, as I quickly grew to ignore this irrelevant annoyance and focused on the standing on the opposite side person.

Thoris, the Emerald Shield was quite a giant. He was a head taller and twice as wide as me, however, discarding him right off the bat as just a pile of thoughtless muscles was indeed foolish. I didn't bother with researching other finalists beforehand, so I should play safe, just in case somebody on the par with my level existed but was hiding their real skill until the last moment. This way, I would diminish hazards of sheer arrogance taking control over my actions, thus conquering the strongest enemy – my inner self. It might have sounded a bit too philosophical for the circumstances although those were only the words of truth. The biggest limitation of human kind lies inside of our mentality. If we weren't afraid of failing, we would have been constantly pushing our limits and discovering new boundaries of our capabilities. Ah, I went off topic, didn't I? Right now, I should be more concerned with present than seeking excellence, because the gong signalizing the start of the duel had just rung.

" **IT SEEMS JOKER'S TRYING TO PLAY IT SAFE. AGAINST A FOE WITH SUCH PHYSICAL STRENGHT A SIMPLE MISTAKE CAN OVERTURN THE WHOLE FIGHT! EVEN FOR HIM!** " It seemed my plan had been more or less grasped by spectators. Receiving a direct blow from someone of such posture could not only decide on defeat, but also, even cause some lasting damage, so for now I was slowly circling around Thoris. As expected from a tank, he looked rather durable, though his speed was inferior. I, on the other hand, exceled in mobility, with which I could finish him off in less than a second, however, I chose not to. Rushing for the decisive strike was always risky, so I should take my time and search for an opening or at least, slowly create one on my own. Like that… I dashed at him with a directed at his armor backhand slash. Since the tournament had no strict regulations in this field, it wasn't strange that (forgetting it was enchanted) leather armor user like me faced a guy in full plate but honestly, despite the seeming playing in his favor odds, I was the one with a huge advantage…

After finishing this attack, I jumped away and then, began a sequence of similar rhythmic blows on various parts of his armor. " **JUST LOOK AT THIS SPEED. THORIS, THE EMERALD SHIELD DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HIT HIM!** " That was possibly accurate. Not many people must have been able to follow my movement as I kept repeatedly switching position over and over again. Repeating the same trick would eventually become dull, so I had to think about the finisher, especially since what I needed was prepared. Therefore, I positioned myself in the straight line, locked on the target… And then, charged in.

" **INCREDIBLE! I SWEAR I FELT THE SHOCKWAVE UP HERE!** " Our swords met with full force, however, they still remained intact. "You…?" Thoris was caught off guard by the ease with which I overpowered him. Though he tried to resist until the end, effect of the vibrations he was put through kicked in, making him unable to maintain balance. Basically, by slamming weak points of his armor in a regular tempo, I created a resonance of a certain amplitude which was additionally boosted by acoustics of the arena and in effect, distorted work of his osseous labyrinth. With enough knowledge and observation skills anyone would have been able to repeat this, so it wasn't like I had just performed a great feat. Yet it was unquestionably effective. Shaken by the vertigo Thoris had no chance to defend himself while his sword flew out of his hand. Theoretically, I have already won but I preferred to avoid making room for errors and grabbing the giant by his collar, I threw him to the closest wall.

"Guagh." That was the sound of someone who wasn't going to stand up any time soon and I wasn't the only one aware of that. " **WINNER OF THE FIRST 1/8 OF THE FINAL IS… JOKER!** " To spectators' euphory, the verdict of jury had been announced. So, I was done here, I guessed and began to walk away when I heard Thoris' weak voice. "Just who are you?" He asked in a tone which revealed a mixture of fear and respect towards my person. "Stand up and one day you might find out." Usually I would have ignored such foolish question but as Joker, I felt like saying something inspirational. If he understood my message, in order to discover my identity, he would use it to support his personal growth. I had no intention of telling anyone what to do or not, so before paramedics arrived, I removed myself from the scene.

When I returned to the waiting room everyone went silent. Hmm… And weren't you guys so talkative just a few seconds ago? Without knowing I could sense that, they were secretly stealing glances of me, like if I was some rare piece of art in the gallery. Of course, that wasn't an issue for me. I didn't join the tournament to make friends, I did it just out of boredom, even though that probably wasn't the greatest idea since I worked in shadows. Nonetheless, I sat down back on my old spot and not too long after, next pair had been called out. The victor of this fight would become my next obstacle to cross but that didn't change the fact I was completely uninterested in the outcome. Instead of watching the duel on large TV screens placed in the room, I ordered another cup of coffee. I wasn't particularly fond of this drink, however, thanks to it, I managed to avert my thoughts from unnecessary topics.

"How can I help you?" My habits kicked in when I suddenly detected a presence closing up on me from behind, so I quickly turned around to fix it. It was the guy I met in Sunshine and I would have recognized him even if he wasn't wearing the exact same clothes. "Oh, you scared me. Hey, mind if I sit here?" He pointed on the seating opposite to mine. "You don't need to ask for permission." I shook my shoulders and stopped paying attention to him.

"Umm… Good job on your first fight, Joker. That was really something else." He awkwardly tried to break the silence by praising my performance. Whether it was a genuine opinion or not, I wouldn't judge. Attempting to get closer to me to discover my secrets would only be a waste of time as I could perfectly hide my trail in all circumstances. "Am I bothering you? If so then I can go and…" Hearing no reply, he looked at me with a worried expression on his face. He was unexpectedly feminine as for a man or could he…? It was hard to determine because of this baggy outfit, so for safety reasons, I decided to think of him as a member of a certain tribe known as traps. "No. Not really." I allowed myself to be honest. "You wanted something from me, didn't you?" "Yeah… I guess nothing can hide from Joker, ha ha." He nervously scratched his head, confirming my suspicion. "Actually, there's something I'd like to ask you. If that's okay with you?" "Depends on the question." "So… I know it might sound a bit of strange, but have we met before?" I should have seen that one coming. Even though back in the shop I used local accent and now I spoke in the clear language, he could have recognized my voice. A minor mistake, which I could be smoothened right away.

"Maybe. Or maybe not." I smiled mysteriously. Not giving a direct 'yes' or 'no' was the most diplomatic answer because neither I lied nor blew my cover. In other words, I left it all to his imagination. "Not much of a talker, huh?" My interlocutor gazed down in disappointment. "Yet you're still so cool, Joker. I'm kind of envious…" "Why is that? Don't you have enough reasons to be proud of on your own?" "…?" "Someone as famed as you don't need envy. Am I correct, Black Knight?" "Y-you knew?" He twitched. Thinking about it logically, he was the only one full in black, so unless this nickname came from something else than physical appearance, assuming Black Knight was him was the most probable option.

"But you still don't seem to hate me though…" "Why would I? You haven't done anything to me." Besides, wasn't it just a sport, this tournament, I meant? The prize for victory was quite high although only the sorest of the losers from two years ago would hold a grudge against Black Knight. I have yet to see him in action, however, if he really was that mighty, I couldn't help but to feel a slight sympathy towards his person. Weak people feared the power of us – strong ones and since they couldn't compete with us, they wholeheartedly wished to witness our falls. That was a natural thing and even though such individuals wouldn't admit it, deep down they would treat a powerful or talented person like outcast, refusing them the right to belong to the group of average humans. "He he, thank you. That kind of makes me happy. Can I wait with you until my match?" Black Knight beamed at me. "Fine with me…" I accepted the request and, in such manner, the two of main favorites made a pact to keep each other company on those hostile grounds. That was, at least until I find out if he was truly worth my time…


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4. Disruption**

The event proceeded smoothly. In the quarterfinal I had effortlessly defeated a slightly roughish adventurer named Gheytz and in the semifinal, I won against a woman calling herself Million Arthur (apparently, that seemed to be her real name). Like that, before I even noticed, it was already a half an hour break before the second semifinal – Falcom versus Black Knight. Both of them had gone off somewhere, leaving me alone in the empty waiting room.

Frankly, I enjoyed silence. As a matter of fact, this statement was true and I never hid it. In this solitude I could focus on recovering, additionally boosting my organism with caffeine. Also, I could reorganize my thoughts, so they wouldn't stand in my way when it was crucial to remain calm. While working, even a single misstep could decide upon my life or death, therefore, I made it a good habit to regularly practice meditation. Unfortunately, I didn't get to do just that as an unexpected guest appeared.

"Hello, Uncle. Came to support me?" I greeted the bald man. Using this nickname was very convenient in public as we could easily blend into the surrounding. "Yes. Sorry, we're late." He joined in the happy family act, sitting down in front of me. Relatives and friends could visit participants during their stay here, so he most likely took advantage of the paper I left with guards just in case. Okay, that should be enough – time to get down to business. "A new job? You know I'm in a middle of something." "Can't wait. It's an emergency." Standing up, Uncle stealthily passed a note to me. "It's our best shot when the tourney is in the center of attention." He added and changed his tone. "I should be going. Your cousins are keeping our seats. Everyone wishes you best of luck." I might have known whom he meant by 'cousins' but those could be just empty words as well. "Thanks. Wait, I'll see you off. I need to go and get my vest fixed anyway." Pointing out a hole I made for the sake of this excuse, I left the building together with Uncle.

Huh, another Trinity facility? After scrapping that junk a few days ago, I didn't think I would have anything to do with them for a while, however, that had to be more than a coincidence. I was sure both of those visits were connected. Since I couldn't see the clear link yet, I decided to go through the details of the mission once again.

To put it in simple words, my goal was to sabotage a production line and secure blueprints of a new-generation weapon which was supposedly being developed in the secret underground lab. Though our intel was very scarce, I could at least definitely cross out those Stratoses, or whatever they were called, as their rampage must have been caused by this unknown x, which I was soon about to retrieve. If there was a smoke, there had to be a fire somewhere, so in order to confirm the rumors, as the only one capable of such feat, I had to begin the infiltration.

On the first thought, breaking into headquarters of such renowned company could sound like a mission impossible although I had already come up with the best plan – improvisation. I didn't mean to joke around but realistically speaking, I didn't have anything like a map, so without being aware of where I was heading, I couldn't elaborate with next steps. Least I could do though was to observe and secure the initial route.

As to be expected from Trinity, there wasn't much room to sneak in. A five-meter-high perimeter with electric barbed wire was a one thing, but there were still more of obstacles – cameras with heat and motion sensors and regular two-man patrols. After watching routines of the latter, I concluded going through the main door was out of question as well, as so far, I had witnessed 8 different pairs and most likely, there was even more of security inside. Weren't they being a bit too cautious? By all means, there was something suspicious about this state of readiness, nearly like if they were anticipating someone to make a move… I should remain cautious just in case anyway.

"What was that?!" Suddenly one of the guards became alarmed. "What?" His colleague replied. "Nothing. It must have been wind. I'm freaking out over nothing." "Maybe you should ask for holidays soon?" Their chatter and footsteps slowly faded and using the perfect timing, I climbed the wall and hurdling over the barbed wire, landed on its other side. Since my cape had a special enchantment, it was unlikely that any of the cameras picked up my entrance. Thanks to that and my speed, as long as I didn't accidently walk straight into one's field of vision, I shouldn't be appearing on the monitoring. Of course, that wasn't the only trick I had up in my sleeve but I didn't intend to show all of them off from the beginning, mostly because by such pacing I could make it more entertaining. Quite a selfish reason to put fun first over effectiveness, nonetheless, I shouldn't be staying in one spot for too long. After entering, it was no longer time for thinking, but rather, for action, so I made it quickly to the factory's roof and hugged to a chimney.

Since all of the buildings of this facility seemed to be linked, I thought using factory was the easiest way inside, however, I miscalculated a little. I didn't consider a possibility of people working down there. As far as my knowledge went, Grand Tourney of Leanbox was pretty much a national holiday, so I was surprised Trinity was this busy. Judging from sounds below, I deducted they were currently loading a truck. With something made of metal… Or at least of similar weight and texture. Because of the engine still running I couldn't be too sure. Anyhow, that was a good opportunity. Taking advantage over the noise, I managed to slip into the hangar unnoticed and jumped on the scaffolding from which lamps were hanging. On this height likelihood of being spotted was low, so unless I had done any excessive movements, I should have been able to safely cross all the way to the back of the hall. "Is there something wrong up there?" A senior employee came closer to one of his coworkers underneath me. "I think one of the bulbs is about to burst." "Okay. I'll let them know. Keep on good work." I better make haste then…

I wondered how the tournament was going. If I were to be late for the final, I would have caused quite an uproar and knowing some already treated me like a celebrity, I was risking being investigated. Even though no leads to my real work existed, any persistent enough person could find out about my ties with Sunshine and then, my freedom would have been greatly restricted. For that reason, I had to hurry and finish this job.

"Huh?" The guard whom I followed through the door to the next section suddenly stopped and looked around, but after a while, he gave up and shrugged his shoulders. Uff… That would be close enough, if it wasn't for those empty boxes in the corner. Luckily, their size was sufficient for me to get in. Nice! With that I had officially obtained the legendary infiltration tool. Slowly crawling with the cardboard box on top of me, I began to make my way further into enemy territory.

Hmm… Why could I feel something like that here? According to my research, no spells were being used to create anything here but even if that wasn't the truth, it wouldn't make much sense since the scent was nearly raw, natural. Here, in the middle of industrious lands it was hardly believable to find such a pure energy. And it seemed to come from underground… Bingo! That should make my life easier, so I decided to follow this trail, eventually reaching the main lobby.

"Hey, what is that thing doing here?" Crap. That was careless of me. "You mean that box?" The second voice answered. "Yeah. What the heck are they thinking dumping it around? Aren't we supposed to have an important guest today?" Only two guards were present. Slight relieve… And what about this visitor? "Want me to throw it away?" "Move it out of the view if you can." "Okay. No problem." Steps of Lobby Guard B were gradually drawing on. End of stealth, start of destruction? I carefully waged my options. Because of the location, knocking those two down wouldn't mean anything, so after the fight, I would be forced to rush things up in fear of an alarm. Alright… I should get ready…

"Done! What about this other one?" Guys? So, there was another suspicious box besides mine? That didn't matter as it was going to be my turn now anyway. "Leave it be. Mikasuki from Research Department is picking it up in a few. He was just passing by, wasn't he?" "Ah, you're right…" The guard backed off, while in the meantime, I barely could hold my laughter in. What had just occurred was like a scene taken straight out of a comedy and it took me a bit to calm down. However, thanks to that, I picked up an intriguing fragment of a conversation.

"You said we're having a visitor. Do you know whom?" "Nope. Rumor says it's some big shot. Probably inspecting the Lab?" "The Lab?" "Oh shit, you didn't know? There's a huge Underground Lab beneath us. The entrance is supposedly in the VIP room of the cafeteria, though I haven't been there on my own. Just keep it a secret. If someone were to overhear us, both of us would be fired. If only that!" "Yes, sir!" Using the just received tip, I proceeded towards the next checkpoint.

The cafeteria of Trinity's HQ was nearly like a luxurious restaurant. Even the communal part for normal employees was far surpassing anything else I had ever seen although that must have been only a tip of an iceberg as there were several separate rooms. From what I could see, each of the departments had its own exclusive dining area for the most important people but the real VIPs resided in the biggest and the most protected out of them all section.

A camera right up the door, keycard reader and even reinforced glass, not to mention everything was sealed with a layer of steel right now. Frankly, that was an impenetrable fortress and I couldn't casually sneak in there. I had no other choice but to meddle with the electronics and that wouldn't go unnoticed. Although if I were to disable those only for like 1-2 seconds, no alarm would be raised as most likely it would fall under equipment's fault. Though I knew how tiny this gap was, it was my only possibility if I wished to remain in shadows. Alright, here goes nothing…

I turned out victorious this round and safely made it inside. Coincidentally, manipulating electric impulses was one of my fortes as a magician, so I had already mastered using those spells to untraceably hijack such security measures. I wouldn't go as far as calling it hacking magic but unquestionably, it came in handy quite often. Back to the main topic, this VIP room was clearly just a cover for a something bigger. No cameras were present and the walls were soundproof as well. Maybe they were also using it for secret meetings? Though it was still pretty much a cafeteria, I could see that no eating was ever done here. A circular table with twelve sits around was giving more of a conferential room vibe.

Anyhow, I shouldn't be distracted with such petty details. I had to find the said entrance to the lab. I never expected anything else than a hidden passage and it seemed I wasn't wrong. If I grasped the layout of the complex correctly, only the wall opposite to the door could had one, however, the floor wasn't completely to be ruled out just yet as a red carpet was placed on the majority of its surface, meaning, a hatch or something could be there too. Nonetheless, I went with the bookcase first. That was the classiest of the options and since this area wasn't easy to access, they didn't have to actually bother setting up an elaborated system. And… I began to touch each of the placed there books and after a while, I heard a click. The furniture moved by itself, revealing a staircase below.

The Underground Lab seemed to be currently free from human presence. As I continued exploration, I didn't find any traces of it whatsoever and only robots were working there. This full automatization had its benefits although there had to be someone alive or it wouldn't be called lab but another factory line. In the end, technology didn't advance that far yet.

For that reason, I cautiously descended deeper. Ever since I arrived, I felt a certain pressure influencing my body and with each floor, its power increased. By all means, that was something odd, unnatural and when I reached the lowest floor -5, this sensation became strong enough to slightly slow down my movements. It was like if an invisible hand tried to force me into the ground, however, it couldn't overpower me yet. For a second I thought the air was poisoned, though that couldn't be the case. I couldn't pick up anything out of place, which led me to a conclusion – the source of this phenomenon was originating from this large safe.

Time to bust it then. Looking for the 12 digits combination was bothersome, so instead I decided to do it my way – with magic. Similarly to what I did to the keycard reader upstairs, I flooded the device with energy, which went through all of the circuits at the same time, granting me access without a need to try out all numbers. Simple and effective, at least in my head. Ta da. And now only looting remained.

I certainly must have hit the jackpot. In this place Trinity must have stored their most valuable projects as the interior was filled with many different kinds of locked displays. Some were like those in museums, while others reminded me rather of reinforced chests. Getting to the latter could turn out a bit problematic to do in a hurry, so for now, I thought ignoring them was the best choice. What I sought could be hidden in one of those as well, but first, I had to take a general look around. Who knew, maybe I will find something useful to me too?

If so, taking it could confuse the company from noticing my real intentions and since I would also benefit, there wasn't any reasons not to. Hmm… I wasn't interested in those droid things but this silver revolver seemed worth getting. Surely, that wasn't a regular gun and its appearance proved that. A single wing instead of a scope couldn't be just a decoration and that was why it safely landed inside of my pocket, together with bundled to it documents. Next, some other gadgets… They might come in handy… Surprisingly, getting to the most of those items was a child's play, however, as I quickly realized, I was still searching through only the outer section.

What I saw then basically screamed to me that my treasure was indeed in this castle. So far, I had seen such numbers of lasers in one place only in movies, so I couldn't help but to grin. That was definitely too much although for the grand majority of intruders, that had to be a deadly trap. If it wasn't for my talents, I would have probably jumped straight into that wall too. Luckily, I was able to avoid it and inspect the irregular pattern. Such chaotic layout was probably there to make it harder for those who were cautious enough and attempted to go even further. I didn't know whether it was intentional or not, but there was a clear passage to the other side, however, it seemed uncrossable for a normal human being. If my judgment was correct, first I had to leap forward head first and land on my hands. Then, forming a letter 'C' with my body, I would have to jump backwards and slide through a narrow horizontal window mid-air. Finally, the last few steps shouldn't be problematic as I could walk normally to the end of the labyrinth just with my arms raised up. Of course, though I could have removed this hindrance with magic, I decided to take on this challenge and… Voila! Without even breaking a sweat I emerged on the other side of the trap.

"Damn, it's getting more and more annoying…" I swore under my nose. Ever since I entered the inner section of the vault, I felt like if my head was about to explode anytime soon and my steps became heavier. I couldn't focus at all, so if it wasn't for the fact this area had very few exhibits, I wouldn't be able to find the source of this problem that fast.

'Anticrystal'. A sign next to a glass cabinet informed me about the name of the object. It was a black cross-shaped gem with pulsing crimson veins on the sides. Could it be that weapon? If someone like me was hardly able to stand in its presence then the produced by it aura had to be lethal for anyone else. Next to the crystal laid a blueprint. 'CPU Killer' was written in its upper left corner and depicted a concept of a battle machine build from this Anticrystal. "Holy fuck…" I couldn't believe someone was even researching such monster. If Trinity was ever to complete this product then Gamindustri would crumble. If the side notes were true, even goddesses wouldn't be able to defeat this machine… That was why I had to… Suddenly, I heard a single step.

Though I had previously closed the safe door behind me, now it was opened again and a person in a grey costume stood there. That definitely wasn't one of the scientists or guards. I couldn't see their face but I felt our eyes met for a moment. Who were they? Another infiltrator like me? If so, then how I didn't notice them yet? The fact they successfully followed me this far was impressive alone although I should be more concerned with my person right now. When the second intruder realized that their presence was discovered, they forcefully activated the alarm and ran away, locking the massive metal door. Shit! Exactly what I wished to avoid. At least I was done with my objectives, so after collecting the papers on the CPU Killer and using Void Bubble on Anticrystal, it was time to escape.

From this side there was no way to leave besides one – treating the door with a magically charged kick. At this point, finesse was already useless, so in order to get out, I had to give it my all. Since the alarm had rung, security should be under way but I couldn't forget about different means of defense. Just like this turret which had come out of the wall and fired a barrage at me. I dodged the bullets and counterattacked, tearing its cables apart with a spell. The weapon stopped working, allowing me to proceed.

Until the highest floor of the Underground Lab I had to deal with similar obstacle but when I finally reached the corridor connecting to the VIP room, I found something refreshing – a barricade. In addition to that, it was formed by living and heavily armed guards. "Stop right here, criminal scum!" The one on the front spoke up. Unexpectedly, it seemed they were going ask questions first and then shoot. Wow. Quite a rare sight. "Surrender. You're cornered." Certainly, he was right. There was only one exit from this place and it was located behind my enemies' backs. If it wasn't enough, a steel seal was slowly lowering itself to block this passage as well, so I couldn't stay idle. Seeing that I paid no attention to his threats, the commander issued the last order. "FIRE!" And the corridor quickly turned into bullet hell, however, none of them could reach me as I began to dance around, avoiding all of the hitting trajectories and when I eventually made it to the proper spot, I leaped over firing squad's position and then, slid under the shutter in the last second before it touched the floor.

With that done, getting outside was only a formality. Assuming that the majority of hostile forces were stuck in the Lab, they shouldn't have enough manpower to stop me anymore, so I could safely rush out of the cafeteria and head for the main lobby although another attraction had been prepared for me there.

"You are surrounded!" Yeah, yeah. I could see that much on my own. From every direction there was a gun pointing at me. Apparently, being cocky didn't pay off because I miscalculated that other forces could join Trinity. Not only regular guards were present, but also mercenaries and even some of police officers. How interesting…

"Please forgive us this rude treatment, however, we were afraid getting to meet you would be impossible otherwise." Suddenly an important looking person in a suit stepped out. I recognized this face. It was Trinity's CEO – Tanaka. He was a very famous man, who often appeared on the TV and it seemed, he had a business with me. "First of all, I must thank you for rescuing my employees from the recent incident. I value their lives higher than anything." He placed his hand on his heart and then continued. "You are a very talented person. Yes, indeed… And you have splendidly passed today's test. While I ordered to spread rumors about our secret weapon, I have not anticipated you would actually make it down there and come back. Fortunately, I had someone special on guard there to raise the alarm in time or we would not have this opportunity to talk."

So, the Order had been fooled? I couldn't blame them though. No one sane would have decided to create such a leak on their own. Although it also explained quite a lot of things… In other words, that was just a set-up and the visitor about whom I overheard earlier must have referred to me. "I will be blunt. I would like you to join our side. If you work for me, you shall be guaranteed with payment sufficient to provided services and I am sure, you are capable of even greater deeds!" Saying that, Tanaka reached out his hand, waiting for me to shake it, however, my reaction was far from what he imagined.

"With a mindset of a spoiled child you think money can buy anything. Tell me, how many lives you have trampled for the sake of it? I can smell your rotten soul, Tanaka." Because of the fact my mask had a voice modulator installed in it, my voice sounded devilish, making everyone waver. Using that, with one rapid movement I took out the silver revolver and pressed it against my temple. "It's time for your judgment, Tanaka. See you in hell." I laughed and slowly pulled the trigger.

At the same second, a series of explosions shook the ground and I simultaneously threw a smoke grenade. The bombs I planted in the Underground Lab turned out more useful than I thought, so I was glad I intended to detonate them after leaving the complex. "What was that?! An earthquake? President, are you alright?!" "I'm fine! I'm fine! Catch that bastard! At all cost! I'll pay billions for his head!" When the air cleared, the whole party headed outside chasing me. Or at least, that was what they thought because I chose the route towards the rooftop, from which I escaped in the exact opposite direction. Perhaps I should make haste. Only 27 minutes left until the final…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5. Finals – Part 2.**

I reached my destination with 8 spare minutes. I wasn't particularly tired or something but I was glad I made it with such a safety pillow since I didn't know how much of an uproar in the city was caused by my friendly visit in Trinity's HQ. For that reason, it was better to stay low profile to avoid raising any additional unnecessary suspicion. Even though there was no proof, someone smart enough could eventually put the pieces together and discover the link between Joker and the masked thief, so just in case, I should let this tournament arc finish pronto.

Damn, I didn't realize I got that thirsty. However, no one from the staff was in the waiting room. Not surprisingly, everyone wanted to spectate the last battle – Joker against…? I gazed on the screen which displayed the ladder. It seemed that I was about to face Black Knight. Exactly what I hoped for. Until now, he appeared as more or less capable person but the real test would begin when he faces me.

Anyway, I walked towards the vending machine. My palate didn't require any sophisticated tastes, so I was fine even with cheap drinks from it. Though what should I pick? The selection was considerably big… Alright, that soda should be fine. I was about push the button when suddenly, a melodic voice called out to me. "Why don't you join me for a cup of tea, Mr. Joker?"

When did…? Well, I must have been getting old… "Good evening. I hope I didn't startle you." A mysterious blonde beauty waved her hand to me and with a gentle smile, she pointed on the table with a full tea set on it. I had to admit, she had a style. She was wearing an eye-catching sleeveless dress with green higher part and white lower, supplemented by peach-colored accents. Frankly, the design of this outfit emphasized all of the 'assets', making it difficult for me to focus on her face instead of her slim shoulders, ample chest and slightly revealed long legs. She must have noticed my inner struggle and quietly giggled, playing with ends of her long hair.

"It's okay. It's my honor and pleasure to accept this invitation then." "I'm glad. Please be seated. I will prepare everything. Is Sencha tea fine with you?" She asked. I wasn't much of tea connoisseur but I knew it was a type of a green tea. "Yes. Thank you." I nodded and after a while, the woman moved a poured cup towards me. Taking drinks from strangers was certainly a bad habit, however, it didn't seem this tea had any unpleasant surprises in it. No matter if I trusted her or not, sipping a bit wouldn't do any harm.

"Congratulations on your previous victories, Mr. Joker. Your techniques are very impressive." She said putting her cup down. "You're exaggerating. It's nothing that amazing." I didn't even have to lie this time. If I were to fight seriously, I would have been already running away from murder charges. "My, my. There is no need to be so humble. Anyways, I should have started by asking it. How are you enjoying the tournament so far?" "Well, in my opinion it's a wonderful event, though because of me, some might not share this view…" "You shouldn't let this get you down. While competitive, anyone's blood may boil a bit faster than usual." "Good point. Actually…" I intended to bring the subject of conversation to her name but at that moment, she interrupted me.

"Oh, just look at the time. Both of us should slowly get going." She was right. 3 minutes to the final. Black Knight must have already been at the arena, so in seconds I would be called there as well. While I was thinking about that, the enigmatic lady began to walk towards the exit. "Good luck, Mr. Joker. Even though it's most likely unnecessary, I will be cheering on you. Thank you for keeping me company for this short period of time. I promise I will see you very soon, fu fu." And she was gone… Honestly, I had no clue how to interpret this meeting, yet I indisputably enjoyed it. I guessed I should be looking forward to that 'very soon'…

" **LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE WAITED FOR THIS MOMENT FOR SO LONG! THE GREAT FINALE OF THE GRAND TOURNAMENT OF LEANBOX IS HERE! HUNDREDS OF THOUSENDS OF PEOPLE, BOTH HERE AND IN FRONT OF THEIR TVS IN THE WHOLE GAMINDUSTRI ARE TO BE WITNESSES OF THIS SHOW! BOTH OF THE FINALISTS HAVE PROVED US OF THEIR STRENGHT AND ABILITIES, HOWEVER, ONLY ONE OF THEM CAN BE THE CHAMPION! WILL THE BLACK KNIGHT RECLAIM THE TITLE AFTER A YEAR OF A BREAK? OR WILL THE NEW CONTENDER - JOKER, BE THE WINNER? WITH THAT SAID, WE CAN FINALLY PROCEED TO THE MAIN DISH OF THIS EVENING! THEY ARE ALREADY HERE! AND THE GONG HAD RUNG! THE FINAL DUEL BEGINS!** "

Wow, what a plot twist. Probably for the first time today I wasn't favored by the introduction. That commentator made some progress or someone had threatened to throw him out for lack of impartiality.

Anyhow, I should focus on Black Knight. Though he seemed a tad tattered, I shouldn't lower my guard. Underestimating any opponent could have tragic consequences, so despite some bruises he received in the semifinal, I decided to act like if he was in top condition. That was why, I should start by scouting his weaknesses. Since I didn't pay too much attention to his previous fights, I had very vague idea of what he was capable of. Hmm… Let's begin with the Stinger…

This move was kind of useless with such weapon but I still dashed forward with a sequence of rapid stabs. Black Knight didn't even attempt to parry those and simply dodged. Smart choice. From his stance I assumed he was planning to play it defensively, most likely hoping for an opening to counterattack. Like now. His slash was well planned, fast and most importantly, aimed in the area which was supposed to be my blind spot. Nonetheless, I deflected it and with a swift pirouette bashed his back with my elbow.

" **JOKER'S DOMINATING FROM THE BEGINNING! BLACK KNIGHT'S ALREADY ON THE GROUND!** " Although he had instantly recovered. Even so, I must have delivered some lasting damage since he frowned in pain for a second and changed his posture, grasping his sword in two hands. What a disappointment. So far, Black Knight didn't even come close to live up to his legend and turned out to be just another weakling. It seemed I was indeed special and like I was once told, no humans could compete against me.

How boring… I looked at my opponent with pity. At this point, he should be aware of the fact how useless this struggle was, yet he didn't seem discouraged. Instead, a fiery resolve sparked in his blue eyes. Why? I couldn't comprehend his thinking processes. That might have just been a tournament, not a real duel but he intended to fight till the very end despite knowing only defeat was an option. If the roles were reversed, I would have given up long time ago. There was no point in taking part in unwinnable battles. "So, why?" I accidently said it aloud, however, he couldn't have heard me. Very well then… If that was what Black Knight wished for, then he shall receive it.

In a blink of an eye I closed the distance between us and marked a blow at his upper body. Given the positioning, Black Knight was forced to block it or at least he would have been if I planned on using the sword in the first place. Hand to hand combat wasn't prohibited by rules, so I didn't have to worry with being disqualified after using my leg as a weapon. " **DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED?! IS IT ALREADY OVER?** " I could see why the audience had such an impression. My kick literally pulverized Black Knight to the ground several meters from the initial spot. Perhaps I allowed myself to get carried away a bit but I was sure he survived that. Maybe with a couple of broken ribs though. That should be enough to end this farce, I thought waiting for the verdict although the duel didn't end. Black Knight had stood up from the rubbles.

How?! Despite all of the wounds his will to fight was still unshaken. His strength was only a little over the average but his tenacity was inhuman. He barely could stand on two feet, supporting himself on his sword, however, he continuously moved forward and attacked me. His blows were pathetically slow and weak, so avoiding them was like nothing. But what was with that feeling? Seeing Black Knight in this state triggered some kind of déjà vu, though I didn't know how much I could trust it since I couldn't have been in such situation before. Yet memories which shouldn't exist resurfaced. A man whom I once faced? He was just like Black Knight. He just didn't want to die at all cost. He fought with all he had and never showed any signs of despair. Something protected him. Something inside of him… Or me? Suddenly I began to feel like if my body was being controlled. All I could do was to idly watch how both of the simultaneous battles conclude…

When I regained my senses, Black Knight had pushed me dangerously close to the wall and while doing so, he recovered a bit. I didn't mean to let him do as he pleased but for now, I decided on playing along. Once he saw the ray of hope, crushing him would be far more entertaining, therefore, I allowed him to corner me and then…

" **INCREDIBLE! JOKER JUST RAN ON THAT WALL!** " The commentator roared, though he was a bit off mark. I barely took three steps on it backwards and bounced, leaping over Black Knight's head. Considering my temporal passiveness, this sudden reposition must have thrown him a little off balance, gaining me a second to move to the opposite side of the arena. The audience went silent. They must have already realized what was about to happen when I grasped my sword in a knife-like style and entered a stance characteristic for sprinters at the starting line. With this finisher I intended to disarm Black Knight and put the blade against his throat, securing a firm victory. If this duel was to prolong even more, I didn't know what would happen to me. Until this point, I had never met someone as strongly refusing to be taken down and frankly, it scared me. It was the first time in my life I felt so much uneasiness, so controlling myself was gradually becoming harder and harder. For that reason, I had to end it with one strike. Yes. If I didn't finish it here, I would eventually lose something more valuable than the victory. I pierced my target with a quick stare and then, I unleashed the attack.

Even though I still held back, the speed was so high that those couple meters of a gap diminished instantly, like if it was nothing. In spite of my confidence to pull off this stunt, it seemed I had misjudged something. Till recently, a word 'mistake' didn't have a place in my dictionary but apparently, I had just made one by putting too much of strength into the strike. In order to be truly perfect, I would have to discover the reason behind it on the later date and get rid of any malfunction, both on the mental and physical ground, however, right now I should be more concerned with the outcome of my doings.

Unquestionably, an impact between our swords occurred, though what happened next? " **CAN ANYONE SEE WHAT'S GOING ON?! WHAT'S WITH THAT CLOUD OF SMOKE?! ARE THEY OKAY?** " I quickly realized I crashed with the wall and in the result, demolished it. Of course, personally I didn't feel any pain, so I was more concerned about Black Knight. Where was he? I hoped he wasn't crushed by the debris or I would have some serious problems. From a living legend to a villain just in one day… Damn, only if the visibility was better, I would have searched for him before anyone decided to check on us. Luckily, I sensed something not solid under me.

"Well, hello there." It turned out to be a body and fortunately, a warm, living one. Apparently, it seemed like I was laying on top of Black Knight in the most awkward position possible. One of my knees was situated between his legs and my right arm, on which I was supporting myself, was placed right next to his head. Or rather I should have rephrased it by replacing pronouns 'his' with 'her'.

As I quickly realized, a portion of her outfit had been destroyed, revealing most of her shoulder area. If that alone wasn't sufficient to determine her gender, the upper fragment of her humble chest was visible. Though she could barely have an A cup, without a doubt Black Knight was female. Was she someone people of the Internet would call a reverse trap? If so, then if circumstances were different, I might have wanted to take a picture with her since that specie was supposedly rare…

"UAGH!" Once she realized our current situation, she panicked and in embarrassment, instinctively tried to slap me. "Sorry, but that cliché won't work against me. Even though it's really my fault." I confidently seized her wrist and restricted her. Right now, only rationality could help and at this moment she wasn't capable of using logic. "Air's clearing out. Are you okay?" A hesitant nod of a reply. "Your clothes are damaged. Unless you wish to expose your skin in public, remain still. I will fix it; however, it's not going to hold permanently." Since I couldn't use magic in this place, I had to rely on more traditional methods. That was why I tore a part of her cape and tied it under her shoulder.

"That should do the trick. As long as you don't overdo it." Truth to be told, I had an ominous premonition the chances of success were low although I still put a mask of sureness on. Such knot was worth like a shoelace considering the total weight of her whole outfit, but at least it wasn't visible on the first glance. "Thanks…" Black Knight meekly averted her gaze. For a girl being put in such spot must have been hard… As a matter of fact, I never looked down on my enemies, so I decided to spare her the humiliation. Defeating her in a battle was enough for me, thereby I didn't need to destroy her social life as well. Practically, that was our first and last skirmish as I already knew the future wouldn't offer any more interactions between V and Black Knight.

"Congratulations…" Suddenly she blurted out. "For what?" "You won. I'll surrender." "Are you sure about that?" "Yeah. We can't continue anyway. Look." Black Knight gazed over to the place where our swords landed. The one I was using shattered, while hers was still intact. "Take it. I'll tell them mine was destroyed." She insisted. "But on one condition. Promise to help me with something after it's over. Or hear me out at least." That depended on what it was though. It sounded like she had a job for me, so out of curiosity I decided to humor her for now. If it was just a fluke, I would just disappear without a word. "Yes. Sure, I promise." "I'm glad… You are a good person, Joker. I knew it." Muttering that a faint smile formed on Black Knight's face and then, she closed her eyes.

Five minutes later. Black Knight had already been transported to the hospital wing and I awaited the final verdict alone, on the destroyed arena. Because of the lack of visibility, no one really knew what happened, so after hearing out Black Knight's side of the story, the jury had to discuss the matter. Meanwhile, I didn't say a single word, only watched over the public. The audience looked rather tense. Who will become the champion? No ESPer was required to say that was probably the common thought in everyone's minds. From all of this pressure I nearly started to feel nervous too. The society had such overwhelming power, huh?

However, besides me there was one more person who didn't have any doubts. A pair of purple eyes was carefully watching over me from a special platform. Given the place and her looks, this had to be the goddess of Leanbox – CPU Green Heart. Her hair was long and dark green and was made into a ponytail. So, we met again… Though unlike the last time, instead of that revealing body suit she was wearing a gorgeous dress, in her national color. Although her face didn't show any signs of emotions, when we coincidently made eye contact, I got an impression she recognized me. Of course, it wasn't impossible, however, I would have preferred if that wasn't the case. Less people knew about my identity, the better, so I should faint ignorance of that incident when we were to interact. For that reason, I immediately looked away on neighboring to her seats. Several other people sat around Green Heart but before I got to see their faces, a loud voice announced the results.

" **AFTER ALL WHAT HAPPENED, THE JURY HAS MADE THEIR DECISION! THE WINNER OF THIS HIGHLY EMOTIONAL DUEL AND THE CHAMPION OF THIS YEAR'S EDITION OF THE GRAND TOURNEY OF LEANBOX IS… JOKER!** "

And then a giant explosion took place. For a second, I thought a bomb had been detonated somewhere among the crowd, however, I quickly realized how little I knew of the society. "Joker, Joker, Joker!" My nickname was being repeatedly chanted from all sides. Even though they didn't know my real name, those people seemed to be genuinely happy to witness my triumph and continuously cheered on me. No matter what lines of reasoning I attempted, I couldn't figure out why. If it wasn't for this tournament, they wouldn't be even aware of my existence and yet, they supported me. Trying to comprehend with the unfamiliar feeling, once again I looked in the direction of Green Heart. This time, she smiled and took out a green flower out of her hairdo, same one as those I left on the scene that day. She smelled it and began to clap as well.

In such atmosphere, the tournament finally concluded. With that done, I visited Black Knight in the hospital and listened to her request. Afterwards, a concert of a popular idol took place, during which, I received my trophy. Frankly, I wasn't planning to appear there in the first place but I changed my mind. Unexpectedly, I found myself appreciating this event from the bottom of my heart, so thinking about all of my fans, I allowed myself to perform this last piece for their sakes. Only a few days ago I never cared about masses and now? Life was strange, wasn't it? Maybe even someone like me could indeed change…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6. Behind the mask**

The celebration was finally over and today, Leanbox was slowly coming back to its normal routines. Surely, morale of citizens was raised and it would be still visible for a while, but for now, whether they liked it or not, everyone had to return to work.

I, on the other hand, could once again start appreciating my free time. After delivering the package and making my report, it didn't seem I would have anything else to do for the moment, so I could simply slack off, though only as V, since Joker was still a busy man.

Yesterday I received only the symbolical part of my reward – the trophy and the laurel wreath, so as I was told, I had to visit the Basilicom in order to claim the cash prize. Quite understandable. Though I wasn't exactly afraid of getting robbed, walking around with 15 million of credits on me couldn't be convenient, so it was definitely smarter to transfer it straight to a bank account.

Speaking of Basilicoms, I always found them to be peculiar places. Each nation had its unique style and design, which supposedly matched with personality of the residing goddess. That was why I hoped to learn more about CPU Green Heart from her surrounding before our meeting, however, it didn't turn out to be that simple. Although an official audience chamber existed, I was led by as confused as me clerk into the inner part of the building – Green Heart's private apartment.

Apparently, she wished to see me there but she didn't state any reasons behind this choice. Because of that, when my guide asked me to wait in a certain room until I would be called in, I decided to carefully strategize. There was no telling who and from where was watching, so even though the shelves and displays around seemed to hold much valuable intel, directly going through them was out of question. Nonetheless, utilizing my skills I was able to grasp the general idea of this collection without making any suspicious moves. Most of the wares were games, movies, anime and other merchandise connected to those industries. Opposite to my guesses, Green Heart must have been a passionate of modern culture or at least, that was what she wanted me to think. I couldn't rule out a possibility of manipulation yet, I thought when the door to the office opened.

Design of this room was similar to the previous one. It was also filled with the vast amounts of collectables, however, here they were more organized around the richly decorated rectangular wooden desk. Between it and the large window stood a person with whom I had already been acquainted. "Good morning, Mr. Joker. I'm sorry for making you wait."

The mysterious tea lady greeted me with a warm expression on her face. Even though I suspected she was someone important back then, my deductions never came close enough to the reality. "So, you figured it out?" She must have been waiting for my surprised reaction. In order to experience at least a bit of a normal live, not all of the CPUs made their human forms known to the society. That was why Green Heart could talk to me incognito then. "Apologies, though it was rather obvious. Someone as beautiful as you could only be called a goddess and this time, it seems even a literal one too." "My, my. Thank you." She giggled and invited me to sit down.

I hadn't expected the goddess to be actually this hard to read on the interpersonal ground. No matter how much she tried to make me feel welcome, I was still distrustful of something she was obviously hiding. Beneath this mask of hospitality, I sensed an ulterior motive in her behavior although I couldn't predict what it was yet. Green Heart must have realized my thoughts and switching her position, she looked into my eyes. "Perhaps we shouldn't be talking with dry throats. Would you like to have some tea, like that time?" And without waiting for my response she called out in the direction of a neighboring room. "Yuri, could you please come here for a second?"

Yuri? The one I met while signing up for the tourney? No, that must have been just a coincidence, I thought, however, it seemed I was wrong. "Yes, Lady Vert?" A young girl peeked out from the door. Though previously I had seen her in her working uniform, she was now wearing a frilly pink dress with a lily pinned on the height of her left breast. What was she doing here? Wasn't she just one of many Basilicom employees? Since she was in such attire, it looked more like if she actually lived here.

"How many times I have to repeat, you don't have to use the lady part when we are home, my dear. Anyway, I believe the two of you have already met." Green Heart pointed out to her a presence of a guest – me. "Hello." A little awkwardly, I raised my hand and greeted her. Yuri muttered something inarticulate in answer and with a heavily blushed face, attempted to take cover behind the threshold. This sight seemed to amuse the goddess as she let out a small giggle and then, continued pretending to be clueless. On the side note, I mimicked her. If things went the way I assumed, letting her know I was aware of her feelings in this place would cause even more of embarrassment. "Would you be that kind and prepared some tea for us? I'll have a good old Earl gray. How about you?" "Same." After taking this order Yuri departed.

"Isn't she cute? That assistant of mine." Vert said in a slightly teasing tone. "Normally her mouth doesn't close and look at her now… I wonder why is that." "Your assistant?" I changed the topic. For some strange reason, only half of the nations had such a post occupied and I would lie if I didn't admit I was curious why. As for Lastation, rumors were circulating that the goddess had a difficult time cooperating with others, however, in Planeptune that shouldn't be a problem. Citizens of that country pretty much considered each other a one big family, so unless the Oracle was also a personal assistant in one, that was indeed odd.

"Ah, yes. Though she might appear to be a little airheaded, she's certainly a person to trust. Frankly, this child is like a family to me…" The goddess let out a nostalgic sigh. Forgetting I was manipulating her in the first place, I also found Yuri rather attractive in terms of an ordinary girl category, so if things were different… Nah, someone like me couldn't possibly fall in a genuine love. My heart had been successfully dried out of such unnecessary emotions, leaving only an empty shell which could hardly be called human. It seemed I was simply special, even on this field. Nothing less, nothing more. There was no point in overthinking my rigid personality.

"You care a lot about her, Lady Vert." "You might be correct. Before I met her, I always wished to have a younger sibling. How about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?" "I don't." I shortly replied. "That's a shame. Anyway, perhaps we should get down to business. I'd feel bad if I kept you occupied here for too long." "That's not an issue. I'm free today, so you don't have to worry. As long as it's for your convenience, I don't mind waiting." "What a relive. Then let's chat a little before Yuri comes back." Vert said supporting her chin with her hands.

Speaking of Yuri, it had been a while since she left. I knew brewing tea wasn't an instant task, but in an average time she would have already returned. Did something happen? Ugh, what the hell was I even thinking? In the Basilicom getting burnt from hot water was probably the most dangerous possible occurrence, so I shouldn't search for any needless conspiracies.

Nonetheless, there was still something bothering me – the activity of three, yet to be identified people. Though their steps were light and cautious, dim whispers could be heard, meaning they had a very vague idea about sneaking. Amateurs? Some kind of maids working for the goddess, who wanted to steal a peek of the famous guest? It wouldn't be strange if Vert had more than just one personal attendant. "Is there anything wrong?" Crap, I accidently displayed my wariness. Despite being seemingly all-looks, this woman was highly perceptive and quite clever, so I should have pretended not to notice the gradually raising voices from behind the door.

"Hey, what's going on there? Why did they go silent?" "Don't push me! They might hear us!" "Calm down morons. I cannot believe I got caught up in your idiotic ideas…" "But hey, did you really see him? Could it be him?" "Dunno. I only caught a glimpse. Besides, he's wearing a mask, duh." "Oh, that's gotta be him! Have you seen those moves? Bang, bang and he kicked everyone's asses! That can't be a background character, thereby I conclude the discussion by granting him the title of a new protagonist!" "As I said, I only saw him briefly. Though his voice sounds kind of familiar… And stop pushing me!" "But I want to look too. That's unfair you got it for so long!" "Stop it. You guys are pathetic. I'm going back." "Don't go! Aren't you curious who's hiding behind the mask?" "…Maybe, a little." "Then stay. We may meet him when he will be leaving. Oh, man. Should I ask him for an autograph?" "Watch where you're touching! You're stepping on my foot too. And…" "Geez, why are you so nervous? He won't like you this way, you know?" "That's not my problem. Besides, I'm… Falling…? AUAGH!"

The door could no longer withstand the pressure and eventually gave in. Two figures had fallen inside. "Upsies. Hehe." "That's your fault! If you knew how to properly stand, this wouldn't have happened. By the way, isn't this room rather too empty?" "Look there." The third person stepped inside and pointed at the window, where an individual dressed in black was sitting on the windowsill. "He's kidnapping Vert!" "In a princess carry!" The man grinned mockingly from behind of his mask and then, saluted, dropping down backwards. "We gotta do something! Who knows what he wants to do to Vert!" "Somehow I feel she did not exactly seem like a person in peril…" "Maybe she's been secretly a masochist all along!" "I'm going after them!" "Me too. Me too!" "Ugh, I guess it cannot be helped…"

"My, my. So, it was really you." I was aware of how dangerous revealing my identity to Vert was, however, it was still far better than staying there and facing all of the goddesses at once. Hopefully, the situation wasn't helpless yet if they only spotted me so far. "Yes. Sorry for troubling you out of nowhere." "It's alright. Not every day you can be stolen away from your own room, so I think it's an interesting experience." Green Heart chuckled. Right now, I was sitting on top of Basilicom's highest tower with her in my arms. We were watching together as her fellow goddesses one after another flew out of the window in the direction of the horizon.

"By the way, thank you for those flowers. They are truly beautiful. I still keep them in my room." "I'm glad. You had one on the day of finals too." "Their smell is wonderful… And they don't rot anyhow. May I ask where did you find them?" "I didn't. I created them myself. I thought you may like green." "Since I'm Green Heart? I guess I'm too easy to read then. That's indeed my favorite color."

For a moment both of us went silent. Because of how complicated things became, I had to make haste and vanish out of sight asap, even though it would equal with abandoning my prize. Frankly, I could survive without this money but cash had always been something which more you had, the better.

"Say, Mr. Joker. Would you like to work for me? I'd feel way safer if someone like you was around." Suddenly the goddess proposed. "My apologies, though it would be impossible." As a part of the Order, I couldn't come out in open like that. Even if I could, I preferred to stay out of troublesome matters and being a CPU's close co-worker could certainly be counted as such. Though not to leave her empty-handed, I decided to give her some parting gifts, which could also benefit me.

"Watch out for Trinity. They are plotting, maybe even against you. Those who were meant to protect law might have sided with them too." "Trinity? I thought something was fishy about them. Do you know anything more?" Vert immediately came to trust into my account. "Perhaps I do, perhaps I don't. I can't speak more than that. There are certain circumstances…" Of course, one of them was lack of solid knowledge about Anticrystals, but the main reason why I left it like that, was that I wished to use her as a bait. Assuming she would have started an investigation at once, Trinity was about to be put under more pressure and with how it went during my infiltration, a possibility of them making a mistake rose. In the meantime, would be waiting for that moment and use it to my advantage.

"Understood. Thank you for notifying me. Is it possible to contact you for the future reference?" Ugh, that question put me in a really tight spot. In order to maintain Vert's faith in me, I had to make her an accomplice of my secret. "Find a hotel called Fiesta and leave a note for the owner – 'V stands for order.' He will know how to reach me. I hope I can trust you will use it only in a case of an emergency. I'd prefer if it stayed between the two of us as well." "If you say so. Shall I transfer your winning to that place too?" Good girl. As expected from a goddess, she was quick to catch up. "Yeah. Preferably make it untraceable." "I'll see what I can do about it." "Other CPUs might return anytime. Do you want to come back inside?" "Oh, can't we stay here for a bit longer? I have to admit, the look on the town is surprisingly good from this height." "I guess a little won't hurt…" For this time, I could make a special exemption. I had never thought a day when I made a goddess my partner in crime would come, so a slight celebration wouldn't do any harm. Besides, the scenery was indeed beautiful…


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7. Serpent hunt**

On top of being a part of the Order, I was also kind of a hired sword, however, my services weren't exactly something anyone could afford. Not to mention, I wasn't interested in normal jobs like clearing some easy dungeons and only accepted unusual missions of the highest difficulty. For that reason, when I met up with Black Knight between the end of the tournament and the concert, I immediately became interested in her request.

Apparently, a huge sea serpent terrorized a certain small village. Because of it, not only fishing, which was the main source of this settlement's income became impossible, but lives of living there people became threatened. Villagers couldn't afford to pay for the extermination on their own, so that was why Black Knight, who had already failed to slay the beast once volunteered to gather the necessary funds by winning the tournament. How noble of her… And there she eventually ended up hiring me.

Of course, I couldn't care less about protecting some random people but curiosity won and so, now I was walking through an orchard behind Black Knight. "We're nearly there. Be careful!" She warned me when we were slowly getting closer to the seaside. Doing so was utterly useless as I was more aware of the surrounding than her. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." I sighed in a low voice and stretched out.

For some strange reason, the slight breeze directed at my face made me feel sleepy. Today's outing was supposed to give me the full picture of the problem and after that, we were to withdraw. Or at least that was Black Knight's idea. Since she was in fact the client, I decided to respect her wish and didn't intend to do anything unnecessary, even though I was confident in my abilities to the point I could defeat the monster with my eyes closed. That couldn't be a final boss, could it? Even if it was, my opinion wouldn't change.

"You know I can get rid of it on the spot, right?" "Don't be ridiculous. I know you're strong but wait until you see it." "If you say so…" I yawned, grabbing an apple from the tree I just passed. Its texture seemed juicy enough, so I didn't hesitate to bite in. Delicious. Maybe I should take some more home? I was a local hero-to-be, so the owner shouldn't mind.

"Actually, I was thinking about something recently." Suddenly, Black Knight started a conversation. "About what?" "You know… About my clothes. What do you think of them?" After the tournament was over, she quitted wearing those baggy black clothes and donned something tighter, however, considering her physique it didn't change much. As a matter of fact, she was flat. Flat like justice, as some would claim. Even so, if I didn't know her in the first place, only the design of her new outfit was hinting at her gender.

"Well, can you still be called Black Knight if only your boots are black?" I wouldn't make any guesses about her underwear though. Those seemingly shy ones would usually turn out to be the biggest freaks… "Let's keep walking!" A turquoise cape flapped intensively in front of my eyes. My answer clearly wasn't the one she anticipated. I might have usually retorted to flattery when it was possible but, on this occasion, I didn't bother. Truth to be told, since it was our last meeting, getting on her good side wasn't going to be beneficial to me. Besides, it was hard for me to see her as a member of the opposite sex.

"Is it here?" Finally, we reached the beach. The water was crystal clear, making me want to go in and swim. By the way, every third day I would practice in the water, swimming 25 kilometers in full equipment. That wasn't too much although from experience I knew it was a perfect distance for endurance trainings. "Yes. Let's take a cover behind that tree and wait." Black Knight pointed on an old oak, situated like 50 meters before the line of sand. Was she fucking serious? Who normal would chose such a location while going on the beach? Well, never mind… Without any attractive women in swimsuits in the vicinity, my motivation to enjoy this trip as a day off rapidly decreased anyway. Despite being whom I was, I was still a guy and sometimes wished for such entertainment too. For the time being, I decided to reluctantly obey Black Knight.

"Hot, isn't it?" When I caught up, she peered out from behind the trunk. "Could be worse. Want one?" "Huh?" I threw her a cold drink. Staying hydrated was important in such weather, so if we were to remain here for a while, I didn't want her to faint on me from the heat.

"Just soda but if you want something stronger then I have booze too." "Thanks, I'm fine. How did you…?" "Just shoved it into my pockets and cooled with magic. Nothing special." Though having enchanted capacity helped a bit. "Quite practical, I guess." "Yup." I nodded to her words and uncapped my beer. My alcohol resistance was abnormally high, so I didn't have to be afraid of intoxication during the job. Meanwhile, Black Knight who might have sensed I wanted to rest a little, turned away and gazed on the surface of the water.

Pretending to be focused on myself, I watched her for a moment. Black Knight didn't seem to be a bad person. She was honest, brave and resolved to help others; however, to me those qualities were only a disguise for negative aspects of her personality. In my view, this woman was naïve and hot-blooded, not to mention, I had already spotted one of her lies. If we were truly going just on a reconnaissance, she wouldn't have brought full equipment and simply left any potential hostile encounters to me. I was nearly hundred percent sure she would rush into the fight on the very second of serpent's appearance. Ugh… I guessed, I had to be cautious enough for two people, so Black Knight wouldn't drag me into some mess soon…

Good thing I also prepared some snacks. Several hours had already passed since our arrival and it didn't seem as if this hunt was going to proceed smoothly. Most likely, we would end up doing a night here, so I was glad I didn't have any issues with sleeping outdoors.

Speaking of sleep, I probably should take advantage of this opportunity and nap a bit. With how peaceful things were, as long as I didn't doze off completely, I should be easily able to detect any threats. Though it was important to stay vigilant in such situations, I also had to maintain my own condition as drowsiness could have an undesirable impact on a battle, lowering my reaction time. Therefore, I concluded that it was the best call to close my eyes for now. Of course, I didn't trust Black Knight to wake me up if something were indeed to happen but with my awareness set on the level of fifty percent, everything should be fine.

I never had a dream in my entire life. Being ready to defend myself in case of a night ambush was basically forced into my mentality, so I never allowed my imagination to go wild but rather, focused on recovering strength or simply killing time when I was at home. However, this time it wasn't the whole reason behind it.

Actually, I felt like if I was being watched. Not by Black Knight, who had no guts to do anything to me while I was asleep, nor by any other living person. Though I tried to scan through the area in search of this stalker, it seemed that no one else besides us was present in the proximity of 500 meters. Strange… Being paranoid wasn't a habit of mine, so what was going on? I attempted to find a logical explanation for this phenomenon when suddenly my face was splashed by a stream of ice-cold water.

"Screw you, bitch…" I let out an uncontrollable angry murmur when I opened my eyes but I quickly remembered Black Knight wasn't a type to play around with such jokes. More to that, she wasn't even anywhere in my sight. Nonetheless, I was kind of thankful for waking me up, even if it was such a crude method. Before I realized, it already got dark.

"Hey, where the heck are you?" I called out. The position in which I had laid down was quite terrible, so it was no wonder I got a little sore. To get rid of this pain, I made a few stretches while waiting for a response. Although instead of it, a splashing noise from the direction of the beach had reached my ear.

Apparently, the culprit of those two incidents was a large monster which emerged from the water. The famed sea serpent finally decided to show up and by the way, why the hell was it named like that? It was a fucking hydra. Just look on those multiple heads! Anyway, the beast's attention was focused on the ground as it kept repeatedly smashing it with its set of tentacles, sporadically supplying additional attacks in form of heavy pressured water. "I won't let you get away this time!" In the midst of this madness Black Knight yelled to her opponent in rage. What was she even hoping to accomplish by doing that? I highly doubted the 'serpent' could understand her in the first place…

"Get away from it, you idiot!" Ignoring my command, Black Knight continued her dance and slashed off the incoming tentacle. Truth to be told, I wasn't surprised, so I decided to use her as a dummy to scout the fighting potential of the target.

Despite the unfavorable ground, Black Knight was still doing considerably well. She could move through sand without losing much of her agility and because of that, she had already managed to remove a couple of tentacles. Each of the wounded ones would immediately return underwater and after a while, a completely healthy one would reappear, but I couldn't determine yet whether they were rapidly regenerating or were indeed new. If that hydro-serpent was intelligent enough to keep most of its weapons hidden, there was a possibility it had even more tricks up in its sleeve.

Though if it wasn't the case, it was a sheer stamina-based duel in which Black Knight had a chance, as long as she learnt from previous encounter's mistakes. Therefore, a scenario where a finishing blow wasn't necessary was quite plausible. By dealing enough damage to make the beast withdraw and repeating it every now and then, this area could function more or less normally without anyone taking a risk to ultimately get rid of the issue. And she made so much fuss about it… My person wasn't required to solve this whole ordeal, so I made up my mind to remain as the spectator.

In the meantime, Black Knight succeeded in chopping off another tentacle. Good job! I clapped my hands and then, the second one bashed the ground near her. 'Way too close' – those must have been her thoughts but she didn't expect the twist of this attack as the tentacle swiped through sand in her direction. Even though she was caught off guard, Black Knight's reflexes allowed her to jump and attempt to dodge, however, it was too late. Her leg was hit and the impact made her fall face down into the sand.

Argh, sand wasn't the most pleasant material especially when it got into one's mouth or ears, so out of pity I made a mental note to share a drink with her afterwards. Well, if she made it out of there alive, because three heads had simultaneously charged up Splash.

But it had no effect. The water missiles were firmly blocked in front of Black Knight and not even a single drop touched her. "What the fuck are you doing? You brought me here for a reason, didn't you?" It was my time to shine. Quite literally, since I used a fire-element enchantment on my sword, while my free hand was engulfed in wind energy. "I won't protect you second time, so don't think about doing anything stupid again." I hoped that the message was transparent and without bothering to doublecheck, I charged into the fight.

The monster must have sensed the difference in threat level between me and its previous opponent and doubled its efforts to pulverize me. Although before any of the tentacles could even get close, they were destroyed by the third and the most offensive variation of the spell called Air Cut. Though its range was considerably low, no material stood a chance against it, so when it got into contact with beast's flesh the results were brutal. Blood gushed out in all directions, staining the ground in red. I didn't know what properties 'serpent's' internal liquids had, so I made sure it didn't get on me or Black Knight although it seemed my worries were unjustified as I didn't sense anything dangerous out of it.

Anyway, in order to win this battle, I had to kill the root of the problem – main body. Since the target was located quite far away from the shore, this objective required me to somehow close this gap. Swimming was an obvious no; therefore, I needed something more unconventional. When yet another tentacle bashed the sand, I pierced it with my sword and jumped on it. Regardless of how slimly this surface was, I should be able to move on it more or less stable, so I decided to run for it and keep on harassing. The fire of my blade would not only slightly slow the healing but also damage the nervous system… And switch before it shakes me off…

The branded by me as hydro-serpent beast could hardly follow my movements and because of that, it started to panic. Its attacks became frantic and badly-aimed, causing self-inflicted injuries on many occasions. However, I wasn't troubled by any of this. I kept bouncing between heads and tentacles, cutting them off either with my sword or magic. I also noticed that in place of one removed head, two new began to grow, though the burnt wounds drastically interrupted this process. Alright… That should be enough. Only one able to fight head remained, so raising high into the air, I flew in the direction of the last target.

"Joker! JOKER?!" Black Knight who was still on the beach was dumbstruck. Why would he do that? For her, getting willingly devoured alive like that made no sense. He didn't have any issues with fighting, but it seemed like if it was a deliberate suicide.

After watching him today, Black Knight realized how much he was holding back during their duel. Though his kick left her with a couple of broken ribs, she didn't think Joker was this overpowered. His speed and coordination surpassed anything she had ever seen. Not to mention the ease with which he was using magic. So, why?

His words were still echoing inside of her head. 'You brought me here for a reason, didn't you?' He said, reminding Black Knight how foolish she was. If it wasn't for a lucky chance, most likely she would have died here. She was worried about the villagers to this extent she couldn't stay idle when the serpent appeared and, in the result, she even forgot about waking Joker up.

But he still saved her. Despite claiming it was just a one-time offer, he protected her from being killed, so he couldn't be a bad person, could he? For that reason, Black Knight felt that she would never be able to repay him this debt. "Go get it, Joker!" Making up her mind to trust him, she shouted in the direction of the serpent which had suddenly frozen. Did she just imagine it or was the monster's body gradually becoming bigger? No, that wasn't an optical illusion. The beast was indeed swelling and when it eventually reached its limit, it had exploded, like a gruesome crimson fountain. In the middle of this horror, a figure shot down from the sky, gracefully landing on the sand in front of her.

"What?" Any idiot would have known that getting inside of a living creature might end in such a manner. Not only I was covered in blood and insides, but also, I stunk like hell. Because of that, I wasn't surprised to receive such reaction from Black Knight. She jerked back and gazed at me with eyes full of fear. "N-nothing… I'm glad you're okay." "Yeah, whatever." My task was nearly fulfilled, but I couldn't rest yet. I flicked my fingers to clean my outfit and then turned away. "I'll purify the water. You can go and play the hero all you want. I don't need any credit for what occurred." Frankly, it was even more convenient to me. I didn't kill the beast to save people, so their gratitude didn't mean anything to me. "However, before that…"

I suddenly threw Black Knight on the sand and pinned her down. "Tell me, do you want to die?" She was shocked and gave no answer, just blankly stared in my eyes with her mouth open. "If so, I can grant you this wish. Right here, right now." The tip of my knife caressed her throat. I was careful not to put too much pressure, so she wouldn't get hurt, yet…

"At least to me, it looks like a case. If I hadn't woken up, you would have been long dead… You failed once but still recklessly attacked the same foe again. Do I need to explain how retarded it was? I don't care what you do with your own life but a good tip, don't put others in danger because of your idiocy. Especially when it's me." To intimidate her even further, I lowered myself a little. Our faces were nearly connected, so if an unrelated spectator was to see us, they would have likely assumed we were passionately kissing.

"I'm not going down. Not because of anyone, nor for anyone. This world is small, so when I think I may encounter you again, I think I should put you out of your misery, Black Knight. Although I will give you a choice. Death from my hands will be quick and painless, while future might offer more brutal ways. Believe me, there are many ways to break a person before their life is extinguished." As to emphasize that, I slightly touched the inner part of her thighs. "So, do you want me to be the one?" I purposely didn't clarify my question. I wanted to make her think like if I planned to rape her, so her mind would enter the state of utter despair.

"I-I… Don't want-t-t to die!" Black Knight's voice was weak and shaken. I hadn't expected her to react this splendidly… Fear was surely an intriguing emotion which could influence one's life more than anything. Even love didn't have this much power when it came to such situations. "Then live. And grow stronger." As fast I had tackled her, I stood up and walked away. In order to start from the scratch, demolishing the foundation of what existed before was essential and that was what I had just done for her. Black Knight's current mental health might have been catastrophic, however, it only proved that she was aware of the problem in the first place and only needed the final push to face it. For that reason, I was certain she wouldn't have become an empty husk because if she would, it would have been a shame. This woman possessed a certain amount of talent, but would she be able to discover it on her own? That wasn't any of my business. I just had to purify the waters before all of the sea life died and then like always, be on my way.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8. Michael Runcorn**

Many people claimed that there was no better place than home, however, I didn't feel much connection with mine. For me, it was just a location where I stored my items and slept, but those I could do practically anywhere, so where was this special element?

The building in which, at least theoretically, I lived in had an appearance of a typical family inn. It had three floors and a quite pleasant back yard, perfect for any types of outdoor celebrations. Of course, none of those had ever happened there but if the weather was good enough, I always had a chance to relax since the neighborhood was rather quiet.

Hotel Fiesta, because it was its name, was situated around the beginning of capital's outskirts, making it a perfect hideout from which comings and goings could be hardly detected by anyone as distractions of the city center were successfully diverting attention of the majority of people, while at the same time, the area wasn't too scarcely populated to make everyone know each other.

Truth to be told, for that reason, after I had purchased it as Hattori Cortesu, the Order had chosen this place as a recovery base for its members. Though at first, Fiesta was more or less in a state of ruin, thanks to efforts of all of the initial guests, we had managed to make the building comfy to a point, where from time to time we even had unrelated visitors. Since my lifestyle was rather unpredictable, I didn't know how I would have been able to keep the business running on my own, but on one day, the leader had appointed some helping hands.

"It's quiet today." "As always…" When I soundlessly entered the lobby, I saw my only permanent tenants and hotel staff at once – Kurusu and Yuki. The first of them was diligently polishing the counter. I had to admit, even during such trivial actions she was brimming with elegance. Yeah, by all means, Kurusu was a beautiful woman. Her waist-long dark hair was as always made into a pony tail and was graciously falling on her back. Also, right now she was wearing a blue kimono with flower design, which not only matched the color of her eyes, but additionally emphasized her incredible figure.

"It's so boring without him around. I hoped that after the tournament…" The one to file this complaint was a red-head, who impatiently played with the sleeve of her pink blouse. Yuki's were also red and her hair short, making those girls pretty much polar opposites, both in terms of appearances and personalities. Unlike Kurusu, whose demeanor was always calm and seemingly reserved, Yuki was impulsive, flashy and liked to socialize. As a matter of fact, I was aware of how much their characters differed from the role model of our trade, so I guessed that was why they were put here. Even so, I didn't mind. Since that was probably the closest to the real family I would ever have, I learned to savor our strange relationship.

"I'm home…" After seeing neither of them was about to spot me anytime soon, I decided to announce my arrival. "Oh, Master V. It's good to see you back." Kurusu dropped her work and gave me a deep polite bow. "Hey! Congrats on winning. I know it wasn't all you have but you were awesome." Yuki rapidly jumped up from her seat. For a second, I had an impression she intended to hug me although she quickly withdrew and nervously glanced over in Kurusu's direction. I might have been aware of their slight rivalry, however, since I didn't sense any hostility between them, I let it be. Frankly, it kind of made them seem nearly like sisters…

"Yeah." I nodded dismissively and passed them. "Did we have any guests when I was gone?" "3 of them last week and 1 at the moment." Kurusu quickly informed me. "Who?" A moment of silence and then… "The leader."

"Her? Why is she even here?" The leader of the Order was an always busy person. In some sense, she was also sort of my parent but in spite of that, I preferred not to interact with her when it wasn't necessary. Why? The easiest way to explain was that our personalities clashed, quite a lot.

"To speak with you, Master. Please forgive me although that was all we were told." "She said she wouldn't go away until you return…" A cold shiver went through Yuki's spine. If I knew she was here, I would have hurried to come back and save them from having to be locked in one house with the she-devil. Damn. I wouldn't wish my biggest enemy to experience such horror… Knowing how problematic the boss was, a part of me wanted to pat those two on their heads, however, I didn't have time for that. "Where is she now?" For the sake of everybody, I had to get rid of the problem as soon as it was only possible. "In your room…"

"In my room?!" I didn't realize I raised my voice. "Why would you let her there?" "It wasn't Kurusu's fault. She let herself in and we couldn't do anything about that!" Yuki stood up in Kurusu's defense, reminding me that I was in wrong. "Right. I should've known. Sorry about that." Though it wasn't like the leader was purely evil, her morality wasn't the one of the saint. Despite the fact I was quite similar to her in that field, I at least always protected my closest allies and showed enough of respect to those who deserved it.

"Then I should be going." I declared, turning in the direction of the staircase. "If you excuse me…" It didn't take long until we had the first deserter – Kurusu, who escaped to the kitchen. "Good luck, I guess?" And Yuki followed the suit, dashing off towards the door of her room. Great. Bless you for your moral support, ladies…

If being a leader meant you were a number one, then whom was I? Zero? Though it was value of nothing, it also held infinite amount of possibilities and I could practically rewrite it into anything I wanted. This might have had something to do with my unstable bond with Order's leader. Unlike her, I didn't have to resort to authority to make people do what I needed them to. They just listened to me. Was it out of fear or respect, I couldn't know. However, ever since I arrived to Leanbox those 8 months ago, the local branch had been steadily moving up, surpassing any other. For that reason, she could have started to see me as a threat, a possible contender who one day might overthrow her rule.

Even though no one would openly admit that, many members had been unsatisfied with her ruthless methods and took refuge in Leanbox, hoping that I would protect them in case of leader's wrath. Of course, as long as we were doing what was requested, we were free to live wherever we liked, but that didn't change the fact one day anyone could be recalled to the main base…

My apartment was the biggest and the most luxurious one out of all inside Fiesta. Personally, I didn't need any of this crap and I would feel even more comfortable somewhere less spacious, however, Yuki and Kurusu insisted I should reside here, on the third floor. If I understood them well, it had something to do with our ranks, therefore both of them took normal rooms – Kurusu on the second floor and Yuki on the first one. Perhaps that was their way of showing me respect although I didn't care about that at all.

I deeply inhaled and touched the handle of my residence. She had to lock herself in from inside… I sighed, unlocking the door. If I hadn't been informed about her visit beforehand, I would have had quite a bad surprise waiting for me there since she could perfectly hide her presence. As to be expected from a person claiming to be the strongest in the whole Gamindustri... Yes, the leader was indeed powerful. If we were to fight for real, I wasn't sure I would win as I felt she was keeping quite a lot of her true potential a secret. Yet I knew, sooner or later I would have to face her, so I also had to become stronger.

"Welcome back!" Right after I walked in, a rather spectacular hiccup marked the direction of the ambush, giving me an additional second to react. "Aw, don't be like that. *hic* You don't want to give your mother a kiss?" "If I had one, then I would at least consider, Sylvette." I coldly replied, stepping away from this woman in her early 30s who still thought of herself as a teenager. Truth to be told, that wasn't the reason behind this action but rather, the fact she terribly reeked of alcohol.

"Oh, you're so mean." Putting on an exaggerated sulking act, she crossed her hands and puffed her cheeks. I wondered if she thought she was being cute because if she did, then I had to burst this bubble. That ominous tattoo on her face, which according to her words meant 'darkness', was successfully driving out all of cuteness from her expression.

"Why are you here? And why are you drunk?" I decided to ask bluntly. "It's because you kept me waiting for so long. *hic* What kind of a gentleman does such things?" "You came unannounced, so how the fuck should I have known? Besides, I was on a job." "Sure. Want a drink?" A bit of unexpectedly, she changed the topic. "I'll pa…" My response was quite automatic although a sudden realization had struck me then.

A line of various empty bottles was covering most of the surface of my table. Whiskey, wine… Mainly the most expensive brands… That alone wasn't much of an issue, however, all of that liquor belonged to me. Fuck. So much money went down the drain. I should have predicted she hadn't brought it on her own. Anyway, if she truly drank all of this on her own, then she must have set a new record of blood alcohol level. By all means, it was unbelievable she was still more or less able of having a logical conversation.

"V, you're getting boring… *hic*" Sylvette loudly exhaled and dropped on the armchair, hugging her legs. "Girls don't like boring guys, you know?" "Though I appreciate the good thought, you don't need to be concerned by that." Being popular with opposite gender could be a pain, so frankly, sometimes I wished I was just an average person. "Tsk, tsk… Yet still not what you're capable of. I have to have a talk with Yuki and Kurusu, I guess. They need to step up their game and learn how to properly satisfy their man. Unless you want me to give a hand too…? *hic*" Geez… If she was attempting to arouse me, then she should have tried some other day. Being seductive would work on no one while having such a puking face.

"Back to the main point. Do you have any other business with me?" The longer this conversation took place, the more annoyed I was, so for the sake of lowering any unnecessary risks, I had to forcefully stop Sylvette from derailing the topic. Usually she would be more aggressive, so I was kind of glad that alcohol had such calming effect on her. "Ah, yes, yes. *hic* As sharp as always, darling! I'm here to ask about your last report." "About Anticrystal? What of it?" "Nothing really. I only wish to confirm one thing. You mentioned experiencing something interesting while getting closer to the object, right? *hic*" I nodded. Though to me it was still a mystery why something like that occurred, I left the research for Sylvette without digging into it on my own. "I see. Then did you sense it again? *hic* I have an Anticrystal right here." Saying that she took out a small gem, nearly identical to the one I stole from Trinity's lab.

"No. Because that's just a regular pebble. You picked it from Fiesta's yard, didn't you?" "How did you know?!" Sylvette didn't expected me to figure it out that fast. Was she trying to discredit me with a lie? If so, then I had to watch my words to avoid saying anything which could give her such opportunity. "You can't fool those eyes. I know every nook and cranny of this place. Besides, the real thing had an easily noticeable magic aura around it. I believe that I mentioned it as well." "That's true, sweetie. Hee hee. *hic* I only wanted to check something." "You make no sense. What are you trying to accomplish?" Sylvette stood up and with slightly unstable steps walked closer to look deeply into my eyes. "You see… No one felt anything like that from it. Not even me."

Honestly, I didn't see that one coming. If she was telling the truth then what was going on? Did I confuse the source of that pressure? I was certain that after isolating the Anticrystal it stopped. Therefore, another mystery had risen. Why would a weapon planned to use against goddesses have any effects on me? Despite the fact I was special and could surpass limits of humanity, my race was still the one of an ordinary human. Though a lot of circumstances regarding my birth were classified as top secret, I was sure that I had nothing in common with any of the CPUs.

"*hic* It reminds me, little birds whisper about a new toy of yours. A gun, isn't it? Can I have a look?" She knew about it too? I guessed I had underestimated Sylvette's private information network. So far, I had taken it out only once, during the lobby ambush but that was only a matter of several seconds, so I was genuinely impressed she managed to discover I was in possession of this object.

"I don't see any problems with that. I should have it somewhere on me…" I started to search through pockets of my cape. Since I never left home without countless items in my inventory, finding the revolver turned out to be unsurprisingly hard. Finally… When I shoved my hand into a certain pocket, I sensed what I wanted. And not only that…

Because there was also a small brown leather etui. "What's that?" I whispered to myself. I wasn't aware I had something like that, not to mention, what it was. Did I accidently pick it up somewhere? I decided to open it. Inside I found a crest of Planeptune Basilicom. As a matter of fact, it had to be a genuine one. From what I knew, those were usually made from a special metal which conducted shares and excluding Basilicoms, not even the Order could access it. So why did I have one?

"Michael Runcorn?" What an odd name… Since it was listed below the crest, I could assume this person was the owner of this badge. "Oh, what about him?" Sylvette's voice grew sharp, like if she had immediately sobered up after hearing it. "You know him, don't you?" "I wonder…" She shrugged her shoulders, while not breaking the eye contact. Though her reaction was meant to be dismissive, her gaze was filled with killing intent, making me feel it was either a personal grudge between those two or maybe even a secret, which should never be revealed. However, I didn't care about that.

"Who is he?" Something was telling me I had to investigate. I didn't believe in such things like fate although this etui couldn't have surfaced without a reason. "Someone important? My guess…" Again, similar response. "Don't fuck with me. Why are you hiding it?" I demanded, trying to sound as intimidating as it was possible. But since I was dealing with Sylvette, it had no effect. Completely ignoring me, she caught one of still not-emptied bottles of whiskey and gulped it all in one go without flinching. "I'm gonna sleep… *hic* Good night." And so, she had limply dropped on my bed with her eyes closed.

After confirming she wasn't bluffing, I leaned against the wall. Michael Runcorn… Though it didn't ring any bells to me, I had an impression I saw this name somewhere before. But where? So far, my memory had always been crystal clear, so the fact I couldn't recall that was weird. Even somehow disturbing… Like if my brain had been tampered with in order to remove every trace of Runcorn. Frankly, I didn't fancy any of it.

"I'll find him." In an impulse I announced to snoring Sylvette. "I don't care what happens next but I'll uncover this mystery. At all cost." Maybe not today, though undeniably, soon. First of all, I needed to get some sleep. I doubted I had a chance of removing wasted Sylvette from my bed, so I gave up and decided to spend the night somewhere else. Well, in the end we had so many of vacant rooms… I thought as turning off the light, I left my apartment.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9. Ice shards**

In the morning, the troublesome one had been already long gone. That was one of the most annoying habits of Sylvette's to disappear as abruptly as she showed up, so I was used to it. After I cleaned up the mess she left in my room, I went down to the kitchen to grab something to eat.

"Master V. Good morning." Kurusu gave me a polite bow and then returned to checking her backpacks. "Going on a trip?" "No. Preparing for a mission." She calmly answered. "Yup. Me too. We got a job from Instructor." Suddenly, Yuki had emerged from behind the corner. Though she already had two identical bags with her, she looked as if she was still half asleep. And on the side note, Instructor was one of Sylvette's nicknames which originated from the fact she was also the headmaster of a certain Academy.

"I'm free today. Need a hand?" "No, no! You were working hard recently, so now it's our turn to shine! You should take this opportunity and rest." Given how frantic Yuki's protest seemed to be, I began to suspect something, however, since those two never tried to deceive me without a reason, I didn't pry.

"I am ashamed to admit we aren't able to fulfil our duties today. Master V, I hate to ask it from you but could you remain in Fiesta? I promise we will work even harder than before in return." Even though they were going on a job, Kurusu was still acting like that… Sometimes I wondered from where her behavior came from. I knew many workaholics but her attitude towards such trivialities surpassed even the worst cases.

"I guess it can't be helped." Despite my previous comment, I was aware that she was indeed right. We couldn't leave this place unattended because closing the hotel at random like that would raise too much suspicion. Even though we weren't exactly renowned, you could never know when some official inspection was going to take place. "Thank you. And once again, forgive us." "Yup, yup. Have fun and laters." Yuki unexpectedly seized Kurusu's shoulder and dragged her out. Well… Since I couldn't comprehend with this unforeseen turn of events, I decided just to let it be.

During that odd conversation with girls I made one crucial mistake – I forgot to ask about their estimated time of return. If I were to trust what I had picked up along the lines, they said it would be less than 24 hours, however, considering how much equipment they took, there was a possibility it could expand. Or simply, it was just a super elaborate job. Though then I would have been asked to do it in the first place. Unless it was something only those two could complete…

Anyway, I shouldn't pay too much attention to that. For now, it was only me, the counter and the empty Fiesta. Frankly, not even crickets were interrupting this silence. Personally, I didn't have any objection but at the same time, it seemed somehow wrong. I must have already gotten used to hearing other people in this building to the point where lack of guests, and especially, lack of my assistants was making me uncomfortable.

Was I feeling lonely? I let out a small chuckle and sat on the receptionist chair. Its texture made me want to sink deeper and close my eyes for a moment. Considering how much I paid for this piece of furniture, this sensation was to be expected. Otherwise, I would have already tossed it away. Like that, before I even realized that, I had dozed off.

The downpour was steadily soaking my cape, slowly reaching to the inner parts of my clothing but I didn't mind that at all. I shook the raindrops off my mask and then gazed in the direction of the obstacle on my way.

Since we were on the open area of the bridge, he was also exposed to the harsh weather which made him seem even more pathetic than he was. "Don't waste my time. Just die. That will be easier for both of us." I didn't know how long we had been fighting or rather, how long this one-sided smacking was taking place. Despite the transparent difference between our levels, that man wasn't planning on giving up.

"********" He raised his head and though his response had been muffled, I felt his undying resolve. Why? Was he hoping for a miracle to occur? So far, I hadn't even broken a sweat and he was severely wounded and tattered.

"You don't like to cooperate, huh?" With a swift and confident move, I avoided his dull attack. Though his cheap katana was nearly shattered, I still disarmed him and threw back on the ground, where weaklings like him belonged.

"*********" I had no clue what he had just said, nor even if he was using a human language in the first place. Anyway, he stood up once again. It was like if some kind of force was pushing him past the limitations of a human body. With all of the damage he had received, he should have already been dead. Yet he faced me for who knew which time. By this point, he should have realized that he had no chance against me as the enemy. Not now, not in the lifetime. This person had no capability to reach even a percent of my true power.

However, his tenacity was abnormal. He picked up his sorry excuse of a sword and froze for a moment. His body was uncontrollably twitching and because of that, I finally noticed the blank which was in the place of his face. It was like if someone had deliberately sprayed black paint over it in a rather clumsy way. Because of that, I finally understood something was terribly off and unconsciously stepped away.

My opponent took advantage from this tiny misstep and charged at me. "Stay away!" Fear completely paralyzed my body, making it impossible to dodge. All I could do was to await the blow from the foe I had so greatly misjudged. Was it really the end of the line for me? If I was supposed to be special, then whom he was? A monster… The answer crossed my mind. He couldn't have been possibly human. I refused to acknowledge that. "******* ** ********" The human-shaped abomination let out a combination of metallic sounds and then, unceremoniously stabbed me right through my heart.

Heavily breathing, I opened my eyes and instinctively touched my chest. Though my body wasn't harmed in any way, I felt like if something inside of me shattered because of this dream. The sensation of cold steel still lingered in my flesh, making me question if it really was just a nightmare. The whole scene seemed so realistic… And since I had recalled something like that for the second time in such a short period of time, it was quite too much to leave it as a mere coincidence. Of course, a possibility of me going crazy also existed, however, despite the fact I had no proof, I was convinced about the authenticity of this event. Therefore, I wished to somehow figure out how this alleged memory became so blurred?

Suddenly, my head had been gently touched and a set of slender fingers began to affectionately caress my hair. "Did you have a bad dream, Master?" Kurusu turned out to be the culprit. In addition to that, I noticed my position had been shifted from I last remembered. Now I was laying horizontally with something soft as the pillow – Kurusu's lap. "You fell from your chair. Does it hurt anywhere?" "No. I'm fine." My physical condition was as good as always, so there was no point in worrying her any further than I already had.

"I'm relieved." She loudly exhaled and our gazes met. Even though she said so, she didn't seem to had believed me as a faint smile of resignation appeared on her face. "You always work too hard, Master. If there's anything I can do for you, please rely on me. I want to be useful to you." And Kurusu was the one to tell me that? Comparing to me, she was pushing herself more and on the daily basis. Nonetheless, I appreciated the sentiment.

"Thanks." Due to this closeness, both of us were somehow tenser than usually. Despite the fact we had already been living together for quite a while, it wasn't like our relationship was particularly close. Since I rarely appeared in Fiesta, there weren't many opportunities for us to interact, however, even with that I noticed Kurusu was attracted to me. And not only her. Yuki saw me not only as a leader as well. Perhaps that was the real reason of my prolonging absences home. Frankly, I might have been afraid of having to respond to their feelings. Though I had no problems with flirting outside, here I felt as if my mask was falling off, revealing even to me, a completely new person.

"Kurusu, whom am I?" That wasn't any sort of a testing question but an honest one. I was curious to hear how other people perceived me. "Apologies, I don't quite follow..." "That's okay. Just try to describe what kind of person I am from your perspective. I won't feel offended no matter what you say, I promise." "I see. Then I think…" She took a deep breath and…

"You are unnecessary brutal at times and always pretend to be someone else. Not to mention, you tend to excessively lie and manipulate…" Ouch. I didn't expect such a stream of flaws. "But I believe Master does that to protect everyone." "What makes you say that?" "Heart." She placed her hand on her chest and beamed at me. "Aren't you overestimating me?" "I'm not. All of my loyalty belongs to Master V, whom I genuinely admire. That will never change." I had to admit, her words made me happy. I had never claimed to be a leader, so learning that in her eyes I was a worth-following one gave me quite a lot to think about, although before that, I needed to know one more thing. "But what if I were one day to stop being V? Would it change anything for you?"

"Stop being…?" For her that must have been something incomprehensive and I didn't blame her. I was fully aware how strange this question was. After all of this time me being V was already set in stone for, same as Kurusu being Kurusu in my mind. I couldn't possibly imagine a situation which would have transformed this status.

"I don't remember anything from before I reached Leanbox." It might have been a slight exaggeration. I had a general idea that I was somehow connected to Sylvette and her Academy, though I doubted we were actually blood related like some rumors claimed. "Seriously?" Kurusu's eyes widened. "Yeah. That's why I'll be leaving soon. I'm going to uncover the truth." "Understood. Is there anything I can assist you with on this matter?" Yes, there was one thing… "Stay here with Yuki and keep on living without me. I don't think I'll be returning."

When I raised myself from her lap, Kurusu was nervously biting on her lip. I observed that was a habit of hers on those rare occasions she would lose composure. "Master, but…" I knew well what she was about to say. "I don't want you to be disappointed with effects of this journey. I'm already sure V you know will disappear during it. Not to mention, Sylvette might decide to hunt you down for deserting with me. She can't touch me, so the two of you would become perfect targets." Besides, I wasn't even sure where I would head yet. Though I logically assessed the problem, it didn't speak to Kurusu at all.

"Master, there's no point… If you go then… Let me go too!" Unexpectedly, her voice began to shake more and more. I predicted the reluctance in accepting my message, however, I was surprised to receive such emotional reaction. "No. Thank you for your services, but you're now officially relieved from your duties. Deliver this to Yuki as well and then, both of you return under central command. I won't have any use of you on the road anyway…"

Perhaps I was a little too harsh but I had to make it clear they shouldn't get involved. Though working for the Order was certainly dangerous, at the same time it was the most stable organization of Gamindustri, which was able to protect them even from the CPUs, so I would be selfish if I had them risking antagonizing it for my sake. For that reason, ignoring Kurusu's meek 'understood' I stood up and started walking towards the kitchen, allowing her to escape from Fiesta without losing her face in front of me.

At such times being a coldblooded bastard really sucked but I couldn't afford to dwell for too long on this feeling. Despite having to hurt my most trusted allies, I had to quickly move along to come up with the next step of my private quest.

So far, all leads I had were this manipulated memory and a badge with the name of Michael Runcorn on it. Not too much… I sighed and in resignation dropped down on the floor next to the fridge. Cooling down was exactly what I needed right now, so perhaps I should have put my head there for a better result as well…

Anyway, recollecting my thoughts I gazed on the large white clock. Though the capital was quite far away from the seaside, for some strange reason Yuki had chosen the one in ship-like design. I guessed she liked that kind of stuff and since it more or less matched the rest of the room, there was no issue with it hanging on the wall like that. However, now it stopped.

Did batteries run out again? Damn, I had replaced those small shits not so long ago. Slightly annoyed by that I stood up and tried to pick up the clock although, then something unexpected occurred.

When I touched the surface of glass display, a freezing chill went through my fingers. "What the fuck?!" Wasn't it for the fact I immediately took my hand away, I would have surely lost it. The temperature which was emanating from the clock was incredibly low and was still gradually diminishing. Was Fiesta under attack? If so, then unless I get rid of the source of this phenomenon, there was no point in even trying to stop it with magic because other, more dangerous elements could be used next. Nonetheless, I should at least attempt to slow down this process by lighting up a fire-based spell. Although it didn't work.

The flame was immediately swallowed by icy mist which had already enveloped the whole kitchen, freezing up all of the furniture. Breathing became difficult and I could feel my limbs slowly going numb. Shit! What the hell was going on? Though I hated to admit, it seemed like the battle wasn't exactly in my favor, so in order to be victorious in the long run, for now I had to fleet. However, it wasn't that simple.

My legs refused to cooperate. They were frozen to the floor and wouldn't budge no matter how much strength I put into breaking out. The layer of ice was steadily raising up to my knees. I tried to destroy it but my attempts seemed only to solidify it instead. That couldn't be a normal ice. It was completely resilient to magic, which put me in a rather tough spot. Luckily, I never separated myself from my knives. In a desperate rush I stabbed one of them into the ice, only to see its blade shatter on impact. This method didn't help as well.

For the first time in my life I was at loss how I should get out of the danger, nevertheless, I didn't plan on giving up just yet. There had to be something I could do, though I still wasn't able to see it. The true perfection didn't exist in this world, so even this ice had to have a weakness or two. Perhaps, I needed another pair of eyes to spot it. Yeah. Maybe they were still around and would hear me from here. Though not so long ago I discarded them, those two were probably my only hope now, so I shouted at the top of my lungs. "YUKI! KURUSU!"

Or at least, I thought I did so, as no sound had emerged from my mouth. At that moment my throat had been seized by a mysterious force, which pushed me towards the window. "Gaaargh!" In spite of my attempts to shake off, the grip wasn't weakening. As I quickly noticed I was being choked by fingers which must have belonged to a female although, were they even human?

There was something unusual about them, making me feel like the person to whom they belonged didn't fully belong to this world. " _~Give him back…_ " A petrifying voice whispered into my ear. Him? I had no clue to whom they might have been referring and my attacker seemed to have sensed my thoughts, tightening their clutches around my neck. I felt that after one more wrong answer, it would be brutally snapped, so I desperately tried to figure out their demand. In the meanwhile, the left side of my face was pressed against the glass.

Thanks to that, for a split second I could see the reflection of the one in whose hands my life was currently laying. It was an adult woman, though I couldn't estimate her exact age. Her skin was unrealistically pale, like if she was a porcelain doll but I couldn't spot any more details as the black veil was covering most of her head. " _~Fakes like him ought to die. Not you, my dear. Remember and fight back._ " Unlike the last time, those words weren't addressed to me. I didn't have to be a genius to notice how her tone changed but pondering about that had to wait since a crack appeared on the surface of the window and it rapidly began to grow, eventually erupting.

The glass shards shattered. Some of the smaller ones spread around, wounding my face, however, the biggest of them sunk right into my eye. Ironically, the warm liquid which poured out of it was like a blessing to my freezing body although at the same time, it doubled the amount of pain I had to endure. I wanted to scream but once again, I was unable to produce any sounds. I wondered what others would think upon finding my lifeless body. Would they be shocked, sad or feel something entirely else? I slowly began to accept my fate when unexpectedly, woman's fingers loosened their grip on my throat.

That was my last chance to strike back. Even if I was truly going to be erased, I wished to take my killer down with me, or at least gravely wound her. For that reason, I gathered all of the remaining in me willpower and turned around, casting the first spell which came into my mind – Air Cut.

Unexpectedly, it turned out that Yuki was now standing behind me. Since the heat suddenly returned to the room, I assumed that she wasn't the perpetrator, though due to the confusion, I was still slightly distrustful. "…V?" She looked at me with eyes pleading for explanations. Besides that, despite the fact I had just nearly decapitated her, Yuki was still completely calm. Even too calm as for someone whose throat had been scratched to bleeding, I dared to say.

"What do you want?" I didn't back away my hand just yet. "Never mind now. Sorry, I should've known it's a bad time!" Yuki tried to escape the situation by frantically shaking her head but since it didn't seem to have any effects on me, she retorted to changing the topic. "Are you wounded? What happened?!" Before she pointed it out, I hadn't noticed that blood was pouring down my cheek. It originated from my left eye, which had been harmed during the recent ordeal. Instinctively, I touched it, however, I didn't sense any physical damage. Damn, what was going on?

"…" I went silent and gazed around. The kitchen was exactly how it always had been, even the window which should have been broken was currently fixed. Because of that, I began to doubt if this event really took place. But on the other hand, if I were simply going nuts, there wouldn't be any traces like that blood. Therefore, this ambush couldn't be classified as just a mere vision, so I had to get to the bottom of this. At all cost, since I had an ominous feeling that apparition or whatever it was, didn't joke. For that reason, I couldn't let myself take any chances as well. "I'm sorry, Yuki. If you're innocent that is." I muttered under my nose as with a precise blow targeting her cerebellum, I rendered her unconscious.

Before Yuki's body could drop on the floor, I caught her. She was still breathing and her pulse was stable. Good… If I accidently killed her because of my paranoia, I would have felt bad with it. As long as I had no proof, I shouldn't be delivering any judgment. "And I hope that won't be needed." I threw to no one in particular and then, started to search through Yuki's belongings.

In the end, it seemed that the only one I could fully trust was myself. I would have lied if I claimed I wasn't disappointed by that. Learning about betrayal of someone who was so close to you turned out to be very painful, even for me.

Since the evidence was still quite circumstantial, I didn't kill Yuki just yet. Nonetheless, if she was fully honest with me, she wouldn't have sneaked up on me with a prepared scroll of an unknown origin. In spite of all the knowledge I had, I still hadn't seen anything like that before, so I could only guess what kind of spell it held. However, from the initial research I discovered that it was based around ice element. Who would have thought, huh? And in addition to that, half of it had already been activated. It wasn't a rather far-fetched deduction to assume what for, although there were still some pieces which didn't fall into their places.

Anyway, for safety reasons I decided to depart from Fiesta at once, through a secret underground passage. I was the only person aware of its existence, so thanks to that, I would gain a bit of advantage over any potential tail. Before they realize when and how I had disappeared, I would have been at least halfway at my destination.

"Planeptune…" Perhaps it was my best shot if I wanted to learn more about that Michael Runcorn fellow. I didn't know whom he was, but his connection to Planeptune Basilicom was transparent, so for the starters, I had to dig around there. Judging from Sylvette's reaction and what that phantom said, a bigger plot was connected to this individual and I intended to uncover it. Especially since a link between me and him was undeniable.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10. Lost Ruins**

Several days later I arrived to the capital of Planeptune and began my investigation in search of Michael Runcorn.

I was fully aware of the fact that an unfamiliar face like me wouldn't gain much by aimlessly walking and asking around, so first of all, before actually going to the Basilicom, I decided to start working on my renown here. Therefore, I started visiting the best place for gathering intel – the Guild.

Not surprisingly, my first entrance to its building made everyone strongly intimidated. They were wary of me and kept glancing at me whenever they thought I wasn't looking. Since no longer I had the need to cover my face with the mask, I wasn't particularly concerned by that although those gazes were quite tiresome. Unlike those from Leanbox tournament, they were filled with uncertainty after spotting such a potentially dangerous individual like me. Ugh… I guessed there was no point in trying to explain I had already quitted the suspicious lifestyle and became an upstanding traveler.

Back to the main point. Quests in the Guild were segregated in seven categories depending on their difficulty. Starting from Rank E, full of most trivial tasks like hunting Dogoos or fetching Healing Grass, the level was gradually rising, eventually reaching the sixth Rank S. Practically, that was the highest one with the hardest missions for the toughest of the adventurers since the final Rank SSS was special. It included leftovers in form of too challenging jobs on which people had already lost their lives or threat of it happening was too big to send anyone. Eventually, all SSS quests would be delivered to the CPUs, however, until that moment, they were waiting on the bulletin board for a legendary hero to appear…

Although I certainly couldn't be counted as one, I still went straight to SSS section. Truth to be told, I had lost track of discrepancy between my capabilities and those of a regular warrior's, so I decided to tackle the mission with the most valuable reward. Slay Dolichorhynchops… Was it something that incredible? I might have faced such beast before, but I wasn't sure as the description of the job was rather messy comparing to briefings given by the Order. Whoever had written it lacked any talent to neatly put words together and be coherent in the process.

Nonetheless, when I had slammed the request at the reception desk, I received a good advice to reconsider my decision. Though the counter lady was very polite, I couldn't shake off the feeling she was thinking I had at least a few screws loose. Other people around tried to reason with me, while others claimed I was just being an attention seeker. But I didn't need anyone's approval to do what I wanted. I had simply walked out, making them label me as already deceased in their minds.

However, the Guild folks received a surprise. Of course, I came back with items necessary for the confirmation of the quest. Reactions were truly priceless when out of nowhere I dropped the goods on the counter and left, saying that I didn't need any prize. Shock, disbelieve and many similar emotions! Somehow, I was sure a rather big uproar had been caused by me on that day, though it was exactly what I aimed for.

Because of that, my third and today's entrance to the Guild caused the atmosphere to suddenly change. Everyone present went silent and stared at me like if a goddess herself had descended. Meanwhile, I ignored them and repeated the course of actions from before. This time, the quest I had chosen was an SSS elimination – monster infestation in the area called Lost Ruins. I knew where this place was situated on the map, so I didn't have to do any research. I could go there right away, but only after I officially informed the Guild since I was actually quite curious how they would interact with me now.

Like before, the same woman was behind the counter, however, on this occasion she wasn't alone. On the chair next to hers someone else was sitting. A girl in a blue coat with big silver buttons was leaning on the desk, supporting her chin with her hand. She had long light brown hair with a leaf-reminding bow on the side. From her green eyes I sensed a great doze of distrust and a bit of hostility though she didn't dare to openly express those.

"I'm taking this one." I announced, placing the paper in sight. "U-understood. Good luck and please be careful…" Wow. The clerk was genuinely afraid of me. If it wasn't for the presence of other person nearby, I didn't think we would have been able to hold this extremely lengthy conversation. It seemed that in public eye I was no longer a mad man who wanted his five minutes of fame by acting tough but the real deal, with whom no one should mess with. Honestly, I would be happier if it was otherwise, though it was only a natural reaction. In the end, all humans feared what they didn't understand and from their perspective my power could certainly be counted in this category.

"Will do. Thank you and good bye." With that settled, all what left was to travel to Lost Ruins and finish the job. Despite the change of occupation, my work policy was still the same and I wouldn't accept anything else than a success.

Lost Ruins were situated more or less 3 hours away from the capital. For someone with my experience such distance was a mere hike and I wasn't bothered by it at all, so I could get down to the business right after I set my feet in the location. Double-checking on my equipment, I walked through remnants of a spiral gate.

As to be expected from a mission which was to be sent for the CPU, this area was completely filled with deadly creatures. Frankly speaking, I didn't even know some of their names but I could see some dragons and green venomous spiders. Damn, I must have stayed in Leanbox for too long… Though did it really matter how they were called? In a couple of seconds they were going to fall down anyway.

I decided to walk to an estimated center of the main square of the ruins. Thanks to the magical properties of my cape and protective magic I used, I managed to successfully conceal my presence to the enemies. In spite of being basically in front of their eyes, none of the beasts could notice me as I casually strolled through their lines with my hands in pockets. That was the power of sneaking on maxed level. However, by just that I wouldn't take them out, so I took out a bunch of silver throwing knifes from my belt. That was just the first stage of who-knew how many, so if I intended to come back to Planeptune before the dusk, I should make it fast…

The knifes scattered in all directions. Connected to my fingers with luminous greenish lines, they created a field in which all movements besides mine were restricted. I could see that some of the monsters realized their entrapment and struggled to break free although their efforts were useless. This spell might have still been unnamed, but I was confident it was perfect and couldn't be broken no matter what means were used. Then it was a time to dance…

With a rapid spun I pulled my left hand and raised it to the sky. I made a pirouette in spot, simultaneously adding my right hand and activating connected to it lines. I didn't think there was a need to do any elaborate choreography, so I simply recalled the knives back to me.

Effects could be easy to predict. Everything alive in the radius had been critically mutilated and instantly killed. Only if it wasn't for the fact, I shielded myself with a magic barrier beforehand, I would have been sprayed with hectoliters of blood and other potentially toxic internal liquids. This move was indeed super effective; however, its aftermath – quite 'unclean'… Most likely I should clean up when I was done or whoever came next would have witnessed a literal bloodbath. But before that, time to proceed towards the second stage.

Overusing the technique I had just demonstrated, it took me half an hour to obliterate every single target in the proximity of a kilometer. Not bad, though I should have made it more spectacular for the person watching me. Even though I was nonchalantly pretending not to notice it so far, I was aware of this tail ever since Planeptune.

I didn't know who sent them yet. There was a possibility they were here to spy on me from Sylvette's orders, however, if it was the case, noticing the hiding inside of the neighboring forest presence would have been more difficult than that. Perhaps we should have a nice chat? Anyhow, I didn't want to grow too careless. This could be as well a bait to lure me out into a seemingly unfavorable ground, not just an amateur trying to play detective. I was thinking of some fancy solution allowing me to kill two birds with one stone by ambushing that person when unexpectedly, an ear-piercing bark came from that direction.

The heck was that? I grabbed the handle of my long sword and entered a defensive stance. Whatever made this noise was without a question strongly aggressive. Did my follower bring a cute pet? If they did, then I had to make sure I petted it enough, preferably with something sharp. But first, I had to gain a better grasp of the situation, so I jumped on the nearby stone pillar. Though its height wasn't particularly big, it was sufficient for me to gain a proper vision over the terrain.

At first, I couldn't figure out what was happening, though when I finally focused, I picked up the sounds from there. "PLEASE HELP ME! HELP!" An utterly panicked voice was yelling at the top volume and was gradually diminishing the space between us. This female was running at her limits with ragged breathing and wouldn't be able to stand much more. A genuine fear was notably lowering her physical abilities. That couldn't be a trap. I would have known otherwise. No illusions would ever fool me as thanks to my empowered senses I was pretty much hoax-proof.

Alright, no doubt about that. My tail was being chased by something huge and heavy enough to create minuscule earthquakes while stomping. Maybe I should let her die? That would serve her right for thinking she was smarter than me. It wasn't like I was particularly conceited although my pride had still been slightly trampled by the idea of someone as unskilled following me for so long. I would have lied if I didn't admit a part of me wanted to see them suffer for such petty reason. Wasn't I such a sweet person? But on the other hand, there was a slim chance of obtaining some interesting intel from rescuing that person… Ugh, I sighed and made up my mind.

It didn't take long until I got them in my field of view. A large three headed dog was chasing… The girl from the Guild. Quite an unexpected turn of events. I was certain that she was just an employee of Planeptune Guild, so what did her appearance here mean? Was there something more to her than that? Or did the Guild send her here as my observer? No, that couldn't be it. The girl was unarmed and I didn't think she could use any magic. If she could, she wouldn't have been currently running away but rather, fighting back.

Therefore, I needed the dog to switch its focus. I shot several weak spells but they weren't enough to make it give up on its easy prey and only grazed its body. Crap… Since it was a mission of 'protect the target' category, I was a bit afraid to use anything stronger. So, what to do? Probably I had to engage in a direct combat, though before I could do that, the girl tripped over and lost her balance.

Unfortunately, she was running down the hill and began to roll down. From what I noticed, she hit her head at least a couple of times in the process, so I hoped she wouldn't die too early. I saw the sleeve of her coat severing and insides of her pockets spilling out, only to be soon after stomped by the aggressor, who thanks to the terrain, also gained on speed. Though not for too long.

"Hello there, puppy." I eventually reached them and jumped on dog's middle head. As to be expected, my unforeseen appearance interrupted the hunt, making the beast attempt to shake me off. I protected myself by using a spell called Bind on two side heads. The monster scowled in pain as I brutally pulled up, gathering the rest of its attention.

"Okay, I got this. Run!" I threw without looking to the one who would have been devoured if it wasn't for my interference. Since I couldn't afford to lose focus, I didn't know whether she heard me or not, so I had to trust she safely escaped.

"Hey, now it's only us two." I jumped off the creature's body and landed a few meters in front of it. I should hurry if I wished to catch up to that panicking person. In such state she could do herself even more harm… "Look, I'm a busy man. Can you go and kill yourself?" The dog, whom in my head I temporarily named Cerberus growled at me in response. Its eyes were brimming red with fury. "Eh, is that a no? I guess, I should have seen that one coming…" End of messing around, time to start fighting.

Or maybe not. I decided to allow the enemy to do the first move. Thinking of this situation as a chess match, whites were only seemingly in advantage as blacks could easily counter any faulty attack. Following such line of reasoning, it was necessary for me to avoid contact and search for an opening created by doings of the second party. And for it I didn't have to wait long. Cerberus lunged, trying to take a bite of me with all of its heads. Bingo, that was exactly what I anticipated.

From this attack there were two options: dodge backwards or forward and I had chosen the latter. I slid on my knees under the lower jaw of the middle head and started to impale my knifes in a line, marking Cerberus' body in half. Before the monster could turn around, I was already on its back and repeated the sequence from below, finishing on its head. The monster frantically attempted to get rid of me and stood up on two paws. It must have figured out our small duel already ended with my victory. All what remained was to make the green lines materialize and pull them back to me.

Having done what had to be done, I went back to tracing that woman. Because of the slightly muddy ground it wouldn't have been a big of a challenge, even without my tracking abilities. A clearly visible trail led me forward until I reached a rather peculiarly shaped boulder.

Its appearance was unnatural. Ideally shaped into a cube, it was standing out on this empty field like a sore thumb. Not a wonder that even someone not thinking straight got attracted to it. Unquestionably, that girl had gone in the direction of the wall to my right… Therefore, I decided to check it out.

In the said wall there was a crack-like hole. It was high and wide enough for a person to enter, however, only barely. I disbelieved that it was possible to move with such restrictions. At least if it was someone of my build, they would have gotten stuck in no time.

And yet, I found there a living human. That Guild girl must have shoved herself inside to avoid the chase which stopped long time ago and squeezed herself into this seemingly safe rift of stone layer. I could see that she was indeed trapped and in addition to that, rather deeply. If she was to remain like that she would eventually die from the lack of oxygen. Even though her breast size wasn't astonishing, I could hardly see her chest going up and down. Damn, female adventures had it rough too. I had never thought about that in such ways… Never mind, instead of standing here and staring like some sort of a creep, I should get her out of there fast.

"You're up?" When I realized that the laying on the stone monument person had woken up, I came closer and pressed a knife against her throat. "For whom you work?" I demanded in a cold voice, while the confused girl tried to move. "It's useless. As you can see, you're bound. If you want to make this enjoyable for both parties, cooperate. Answer, why were you following me?" "I…" The interrogated hadn't fully recovered yet and gazed around with empty eyes. That was until her sight reached me, because then, the spark of life returned there.

"Remembering what happened, huh? Yeah, I protected you back then, so would it hurt to show some gratitude and nicely answer my questions?" "Wh-where am I?" She finally muttered. "I said answer, not ask, idiot. But those are Lost Ruins. I brought you back to the entrance." "I see… Thank you." "Stop with this redundant stuff or I'll change my attitude." Seeing that either out of fear mixed with confusion or simple insanity she wasn't taking me seriously I pressed my blade closer to her skin. Wait, hadn't I done something nearly identical not so long ago? Damn, I had to do something about this repetitiveness in my modus operanti in the future…

The girl gulped and looked at me with a terrified expression. Wasn't that hard to do it from the beginning? "So, once again, why were you tailing me?" Before thinking about any next steps, I needed to know that. "The Guild…" She quickly replied. "Did the Guild make you come here? Why?" Of course, that was one of the possibilities and a rather logical one too. Since I managed to clear a quest of the highest difficulty and appeared there alone, they probably wished to learn if I was just stealing credit from others or just represented a larger party. I couldn't wait to see their faces when they would be told that I was a one hundred percent legit solo traveler. Or scratch that, I didn't want to have my info leaked to some random people.

"No. I came here alone." Though that was a rather typical line to deceive the questioning, she didn't appear to be lying. However, there were still a few matters keeping my suspicion on. "Yeah, let's say I believe you for now. And why was that?" "It's because… It's because… I can't remember." Feigning ignorance? "Then use your brain a little. Preferably before I run out of patience." "I'm trying… It's just. I can't. Everything is so hazy. I'm sorry." Hmm… I didn't know what to think about it. Having underwent such a traumatizing experience her mind could have been even damaged to some extent, so ruling out the scenario where she was stating the truth may have been too hasty.

"Alright. Time for the last question. Do you know someone called Michael Runcorn?" Why did I even…? "…Runcorn?!" Unexpectedly, her eyes widened. Judging from this reaction, she must have been somehow familiar with this name. "Why are you looking for him?" "That's not your business. Tell me everything you know." "He used to work in the Basilicom for a while." "Used to?" "He went missing shortly after that and haven't been seen until today. Even Nep doesn't know where's he." "And when it was?" "Like three years ago."

Three years ago… Those words echoed inside of my skull for a while, confirming it must have been more than a coincidence and Runcorn's disappearance was indeed somehow connected to me. Otherwise, how would have I been able to be in a possession of his badge? We must have met and then what? Did I kill him? If I were to believe that dream-like memory, it should have been opposite, so what did really occur those three years ago?

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" The girl tried to make a contact with me, however, I couldn't hear her and jerked back grabbing my head with both hands. My ears were filled with a static noise, which had been gradually raising in volume. This sensation was somehow similar to the one back from the Fiesta incident, so I instinctively protected my neck. Three years… Three years! Fuck! Just what was going on with my body? I could no longer tell what was real and what not. Who was this Michael Runcorn? And whom I was? I must discover the truth! I…

"Get up. We're going back to Planeptune." "Huh? Aren't I…?" "No, you were never a hostage to begin with. I only made you feel this way to lower the probability of being deceived." Now I was sure she was just a stray Guild member. There was no reason to fear her. "I collected your stuff and fixed what I could. I'm no expert especially when it comes to tailoring, so you might want to get a new coat." I pointed in the direction of a pile I gathered backtracking her route. Lucky for her, most of the items were more or less in a good condition and only some ad looking papers were destroyed to the point of no recovery. I prayed she wouldn't miss them. "Now, hurry. We don't have all day." I hastened her to take action.

Though I held no obligation to do so, I escorted my former follower back home. It was her own mistake for coming after me without any defense, but despite that, I felt that it was the right decision, which not so long ago I wouldn't make.

During our journey we didn't talk at all. Ignoring the impression I had about her wanting to tell me something, I kept pushing forward in silence until we reached the street on which Guild's building was located.

"I assume you can make it home from here." I suddenly stopped in the middle of the empty road. Because of the fact I had to travel with another, wounded person, the pace was rather bad and it already got dark. "Yeah. I don't live far away. Thanks for…" "Don't thank me. I trust I don't have to make you understand that today's events are staying just between you and me. Let's call it our little secret…" Details of my skills shouldn't become a common knowledge, because that could do me more harm than good. Like a proper illusionist never revealed secrets behinds his tricks, I shouldn't be doing that too.

"Alright, I'm going. Don't try anything reckless tonight or in the future, okay? Bad things happen to those who don't think about consequences of their actions…" Sending her the last piece of warning I began to walk away. "Hey, wait!" The girl called out to me, but I initially disregarded her attempts. "It's about Michael Runcorn."

Now she surely caught my attention. Did she decide to share something new with me? "I'm listening." "I don't know why are you looking for him and I won't ask why, but I feel you don't have any ill intentions. That's why I want to help." And what would you be able to do? I didn't make any comments about that yet since it seemed like it wasn't the end of what she wished to say.

"If you go in through the front door, you won't learn anything. It's been three years… Go around the Basilicom. There is a door leading to the living part. Tell them IF sent you." So, was she telling me to go meet with the goddess herself? If Planeptune Basilicom was similar to the one in Leanbox then the area she was referring to must have been CPU's private chambers. "I'll do that. Thanks, Iffy." "Gah…?" For some strange reason, she flinched although before she had recovered from the bewilderment, I had already fled the scene and vanished into the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11. The Crooked Man**

The back of Planeptune Basilicom seemed surprisingly welcoming. Despite the fact it was a residence of the local goddess it was hard to distinguish it from a backyard of any ordinary citizen. In other words, it wasn't too perfect and had a bit of mess there and there, but all within reasonable boundaries and order. Though this area wasn't exactly restricted for normal people, only those personally acquainted with CPU Purple Heart would dare to trespass, so I guessed she could feel freely around here, in this nearly believed to be holy place.

Also, what caught my attention was the fact this Basilicom was a floor higher than the one in Leanbox. That alone wasn't anything strange, however, without a doubt, this upper level had been built-in recently as I could notice a difference in the hue of the purple paint in which it was covered. Additionally, a small tower-like structure was placed on the top of that and clearly, unlike its Leanbox counterparts, it had other purpose than decorative. I could see windows, so maybe it was a watch tower? Nah, why would a goddess need one? It must have been for the sake of watching the scenery in the leisure time or something along those lines.

Having scanned the area, I proceeded inside. Though I wasn't exactly infiltrating the Basilicom, I had taken all necessary precautions. A force of habit, I guessed. A locked steel gate blocked the passage. There was no intercom or anything like that, so since I had no key and I wasn't patient enough to wait for someone to notice me, I allowed myself inside by simply jumping over the fence. Hopefully the CPU would overlook this tiny wrongdoing and wouldn't pursue any entering charges, especially since I had a hunch the subject of my visit could potentially interest her.

Once I made it to the door, I firmly but politely knocked twice. For the sake of today I made sure that my appearance was representative enough and polished my whole inventory. I might not have much things although all of them were now sparkling clean to the point where I thought it could blind anyone who would stare for too long. First impressions were supposedly important, so if hers was favorable, I may learn something more than if I came all rugged and dirty.

No answer? Maybe she wasn't home? No, I could sense at least two sources of energy, meaning someone must have indeed been around. But where? Because the Basilicom was in fact the greatest power spot of shares in the nation, locating someone whose life force was based on it turned out to be quite a challenge. I could distinguish only faint signals which could come from right after the door, the tower or even the situated on the side shed, so all I could do was knock again and wait.

Estimated five minutes later the door finally opened but the person who was in front of my eyes wasn't CPU Purple Heart. It had to be her younger sister - CPU Candidate, known to some as Purple Sister. Even if I didn't actually see the real one back then, I would have been able to deduct as much. Purple Sister's presence was incomparably weaker and her looks were rather plain. Only her long light purple hair and eyes were making her stand out. Of course, I had already seen many people with similar colors and they were natural too, but as long as this girl was concerned, there was something magical about this shade. If I remembered correctly, those were the signs that her goddess' power was gradually maturing and soon, she would be able to access HDD or in simpler words, buff up by transforming into a proper divine being.

"Sorry for the w…" She stopped her greeting not knowing what to do next when she noticed a stranger in my person knocked. Therefore, I had to quickly seize the initiative. "Good morning. Apologies for coming unannounced. I have a certain problem and IF told me it can be resolved here. Can I speak with your sister?" Naturally, Purple Sister slightly backed off, but luckily, didn't close the door at my face. She was clearly nervous. Crap. Despite my sincere efforts, I must have intimidated her anyway. "I s-see… If IF… Then, please come in. I'll call her right away!" With a highly shaking voice she stepped away, allowing me to enter.

Now seriously… That girl shouldn't be such a pushover. Would she do the same if I said that I came to rape her and steal all valuables? Of course, I would never do anything like that, but well, this world was brutal, so she probably should steel herself a little, especially as one day she was going to become next CPU. Dealing with difficulties and harsh environment was pretty much one of the main points of this job's description, so if she wouldn't change, Planeptune's future was indeed grim…

After a short while I was eventually called into the living room. Though the siblings weren't aware of that, I heard their full exchange and learnt that Purple Heart was 'busy' playing games and reluctantly agreed to see me only after Candidate mentioned my 'scary face'. Interesting reason to change one's mind, I dared to say, however, it was still better than being turned away at this point. By the way, was my face really that scary? I made sure to carefully shave last night…

"Uh huh. He really seems kinda scary. On the other hand…" Upon entering, a whisper belonging to a goddess with childish appearance came into my ear. Although she didn't know it, we had already met before. Human form of Purple Heart looked nearly exactly like her younger sibling's copy with only few differences: she was smaller, her hair was short and messy and finally, she had this aura of unshaken confidence around her.

"Hello! I heard there's somebody in trouble. Don't worry, you came to the right place. This goddess over here will fix everything in no time!" The CPU stood and proudly put her hands on her hips. "Thank you. I'll be blunt. Can you tell me something about this?" I threw the object of interest on the table in front of her but I hadn't expected the reaction this one badge would cause.

"Secretary…" Both Purple Heart's and her sister's gazes were fixed on the engraved on the badge name. "Oh, no! Does it mean…?" CPU Candidate was close to tears and even the older sibling seemed at loss. Though I heard, Runcorn's work in the Basilicom had been only a small episode, they acted highly emotionally, as if he used to be more than just an assistant.

"How did you get this?" The goddess asked without turning to me. There was no point in hiding anything, so I decided to be honest. "I don't know. I have no clue how and when it came into my possession. That's why I'm here. But you said 'Secretary', could you elaborate, please?" Perhaps I was being too insensitive but it was a rather pressing matter, so I had to push my luck a little if that was necessary. Fortunately, the sisters exchanged looks and then, nodded to each other.

And so, I had learnt the truth, though not the whole one yet. At any rate, understanding the person whom I sought was the first step which I had to take in order to discover his fate and at the same time, unveil the mystery of my past.

Apparently, Michael Runcorn wasn't originally born in Gamindustri. Although it was hard to believe, he came here from another world, completely unrelated to the one we lived in. The reason of it wasn't known even to him, so all we could do was speculating. Since I had never heard about such cases, this idea seemed quite surreal but without a doubt, it was something I needed to investigate.

After Runcorn by a sheer coincidence made contact with CPU Purple Heart and settled in, he went with her on an adventure to Lastation. There, he was wounded and his party decided to go on a vacation to help him recuperate faster, however, the trip turned out disastrous. Runcorn had been critically injured and after miraculous recovery, stepped into a fight between CPUs, during which they had a breakdown. Supposedly, White Heart may know what happened to him afterwards but she was unreachable at that moment, although the goddess of Planeptune promised to try again later. I was thankful for that already. I felt that I took quite a step towards my goal, however, there was still much to do.

"You mentioned he moved into the Basilicom. Do you still have any items which belonged to him?" Though throughout those three years a lot could have occurred, I had an impression that by inspecting Runcorn's possessions I would be able to finish my psychological portrait of his. So far, all I could deduct from the stories was the fact he was pretty much a polar opposition of me. Selfless, weak, reckless and foolishly brave. Exact 180-degree away from my personality… It seemed so strange, I didn't want to even think about that.

"Yeah. Everything's waiting for his return. Even in hundreds of years! Wanna see his flat?" Purple Heart announced. "Sister…?!" "It's okay, kiddo. I feel if someone's ever gonna find Secretary, it will be this guy, so it's fine, I guess. Then, shall we be going?" "That would help a lot. Thank you." "Alrighty. Time to grab keys. We're going upstairs!"

Our destination turned out to be the highest floor of the building, the one which stood out to me before. This level had a luxurious even for Basilicom standards apartment, befitting the most prestigious hotels for rich folks. Did it really belong to Runcorn? I couldn't notice any signs of anyone actually living here before, but I didn't jump to any conclusions yet. Though all of the furniture was still in more or less straight-out-the-shop condition, there had to be a good reason for that.

"We built it for him just in case last summer." Purple Sister informed me with a slightly depressed voice, confirming my theory. Despite the fact Runcorn could have been declared dead long time ago, believing he was still doing fine but never visited was probably their way of dealing with the loss. Therefore, to extract from them as much intel as I could, I had to make sure not to step on this thin ice. "Mind if I take a look around?" "Go ahead." The goddess agreed and I began the inspection.

The main living room, from which we had entered, was a central space of the area. Three dark leather sofas were placed in a square-ish manner and faced the wall with a classy fireplace, on top of which, a large-screened TV had been fixed. In the middle of it, there was a party-sized glass table. Since it was nothing of importance to me, I moved next to the situated behind the middle sofa staircase. When I went up, I found myself on that small tower. Besides empty armor and weapon racks I hadn't discovered there anything more.

After that, the kitchen. Probably for the sake of convenience it wasn't separated from the living room by any walls, just by a marble countertop, from which dishes could be easily served for guests. Seeing that I concluded that Runcorn must have many friends whom he could invite here, otherwise they would have designed this place simpler. An apartment made for an extrovert, by extroverts… The more I explored the interior, the more I began to ponder. Until this moment searching for Michael Runcorn was like a fight with time to defuse a bomb which could blast off any second, however, currently I began to reconsider this view. It appeared to me as if Runcorn himself was trying to guide me to something from the shadows, but I wasn't able to understand his message yet.

 _There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile._

Suddenly, when I opened the door of the bathroom, a voice from back of my head began to hum an unknown melody. Though it was definitely the first time I heard it, I couldn't shake off this feeling of nostalgia.

 _He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.  
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,_

Somehow, I noticed a similarity between me and this crooked man. Everything in my life wasn't normal. My warped personality, unnatural strength, abnormal occupation. As I contemplated that, I entered the bedroom. Just a fancy bed and a bunch of empty drawers…

 _And they all lived together in a little crooked house._

If Fiesta was my crooked house, then whom were those cat and mouse? Yuki and Kurusu? And what about the sixpence? Damn, more I thought, the more my head hurt. Nonetheless, I pushed forward. Only one door remained and I was sure that was going to be it.

According to the quick briefing I acquired on the way, it was the second room designed to be a study, even though, it had been supplied with an identical bed to the one in the bedroom. Besides that, there were bookshelves filled with numerous titles. Scanning through them I saw encyclopedias, dictionaries and other oriented around Gamindustri books, however, fiction in form of novels was also present. I took one out at random. ' _Requiem_ ' by some young author whose name I didn't recognize. The description on the back cover seemed intriguing, so I decided to check it out in future if I ever had a chance.

I sat down at the desk. Unlike the rest of the furniture, it looked surprisingly normal and more importantly, old. I touched the wooden surface with tips of my fingers. It must have been used before, at least for several years. Also, I noticed no traces of dust were to be found neither here, nor anywhere else, meaning this apartment had been well-kept despite the fact it had no inhabitants. Those two sisters still cared about you a lot, huh, Michael?

Anyway, I should start by checking out drawers. Papers, papers and even more papers... Mainly official Basilicom business. Although they were insignificant to my search, I took a closer look. On one of the pages I found a signature of Michael Runcorn. His handwriting was neat and tidy. Each letter was carefully but confidently connected. From that alone I gained quite a lot of knowledge, but there was still something even more curious. I grabbed the black ball pen which was bundled together with the documents and wrote his name underneath the real one to compare. Though our styles weren't even close, I realized both of our 'R's were pretty much identical. It wasn't anything particularly odd, so I didn't need to go into more details.

At the very bottom of the desk I found a white envelope. It was addressed to no one else than Runcorn, in such standoffish manner that it made me think someone who had sent it was trying too hard to separate their private affair with the official one. Or perhaps I overinterpreted it. Anyway, the letter wasn't sealed anyhow, so for the sake of the investigation, I took the privilege of opening it on my own.

 _Dear Michael,_  
 _If you are reading this, then it means you have safely returned home. I'm glad. Though I don't know how much time passed since I wrote this letter, I still hope you are doing well.  
First of all, I must apologize to you for my words and actions back in Lowee. No matter how to look at it, nothing justifies hitting you, especially since you were right. I had crossed the line and forgot whom I truly am.  
When I finally cooled down, I understood my mistake, however, it was too late. You were already gone. Blanc explained the whole situation. To think that you had been possessed… I could hardly believe it back then, but she had no reason to lie. That is why I must say it again. I'm sorry. I cannot possibly imagine what you must have went through and everything of that was my fault. Because of my selfishness, not only the whole trip was ruined but also, you disappeared. Hah, I didn't think I would feel so embarrassed by only writing that. Nonetheless, I hope to see you soon and hear of your adventures with RED.  
Yours sincerely,  
Noire  
PS  
If you are the one reading it Neptune, I'll kill you._

When I finished reading, a bizarre sensation filled my body, making it unable to move. For a second, I thought that woman attacked again, like in Fiesta, although the cause of this paralyze was different.

A single red drop stained the surface of the letter, right under the signature. After it, several others followed and as I quickly realized, they originated from my eyes, nose and mouth. I was bleeding out in an increasing speed and I was unable to stop this process.

Suddenly, both the window and the door rapidly gave in under torrents of crimson liquid which began to fill the room. Since my body wasn't responding, it didn't take long until I started to drown in this sea of blood and after a while, my consciousness faded…


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.** **Daily life at Planeptune Basilicom**

On the first glance, the backyard shed wasn't unusual in anyway. Just a normal storage space you could find in any house, however, it had a small secret.

"What kind of place is this?" I asked as the CPU Candidate named Nepgear had triggered a hidden behind the gardening equipment mechanism, which revealed stairs down. "We keep there all of the artifacts. For safety reasons. It's quite a new thing here." "I see…" I nodded and so, we began to descend.

On the side note, it was my second visit in the Planeptune Basilicom. After the goddesses found me passed out in the study, they insisted I should take it easy and see the doctor although I doubted any medical examination would help in my case. In the end, I nearly died in a bizarre vision, which most likely had caused again by the same culprit. Nonetheless, to appease worries of those two over altruistic CPUs I decided to make an appointment for later this week. That was if I were truly going to stay here for so long.

Eventually, we reached a blockade. A heavy metal shutter and a touchpad next to it, both in light shades of purple. From my own experience I'd describe underground bunkers as usually dark and gloomy, so this one was standing out rather spectacularly.

"Now, what was the password…?" Nepgear murmured nervously and began to search her database in the electronic device called N-Gear. Talk about creativity in naming things… But I could be sure she didn't do that on purpose. Unlike her older sister – Neptune, she didn't seem to display any signals of having a narcissistic strike, so I just thought of it as a coincidence. By the way, things like N-tunes, NepTube or Neppit really existed, not to mention, the name of this nation could probably be interpreted as blending of 'Planet Neptune'.

"Let me see." I came a step closer and gazed on the lock. Numbers from 0 to 9, so the security was on an unexpectedly low level. Well, if someone were to break in here, they would have to find to hidden passage first, so I guessed it was more to slightly slow down the potential thief rather than to stop them. However, if it was me, I would have simply demolished this door or fried the device.

Anyway, keys 1, 2, 3 and 7 seemed to be used the most. No matter how gently one pushed such buttons, they would always leave marks, which I could pick up and those weren't an exemption. "I got it. It's…" "2 – 1 – 3 – 7." "How did you know?!" Nepgear panicked, meaning that my first guess was correct. "Sheer luck." I shrugged my shoulders and entered the combination.

"It's quite cold in here, isn't it?" The Candidate shivered a little. We were only a couple of meters underground but still, she could have dressed something more than just her usual sailor school uniform. Even though she didn't attend any schools, for some strange reason that was her favorite outfit.

"So, with what exactly you needed help, again?" As a matter of fact, we didn't walk into this prison-looking maze only for the sake of recreation. Personally, I would have never brought a girl to such place. "It's in the section UT1. Big sister said you may figure out this sword." "Tch. I'm not a blacksmith." I spat out in annoyance to purposefully scare her. "I know. I know. But please, Mr. V. Can you at least see it? I'll explain more on the way. And stay close to me if you can. It's easy to get lost and I have a map…"

On the way to the mentioned section Nepgear told me more about this request. To summarize, there was a certain magical weapon which supposedly adapted to its user and changed shape according to their personality and skills, however, it didn't react to anyone who tried to use it so far. Neither to the goddesses, nor to any of their friends who also attempted. For that reason, I was their last hope for success. By applied by the Oracle – Histoire logic, if someone who wasn't a goddess but still possessed as significant power as I did couldn't do this, then no one else would. Although, I prayed I wasn't going to be the chosen one. I didn't want to be put through some kind of prophecy mess. Usually those were boring and too tiresome as for my taste.

"Are you going to look for Mr. Secretary?" Suddenly, Nepgear asked me with a depressed voice and I knew about whom she was talking about. "Seems so. Finding Runcorn also benefits me. Besides, that's why we met in the first place, didn't we?" Well, perhaps I didn't have much choice… At this rate, I would end up dead soon enough if those weird attacks were to keep happening. Truth to be told, I didn't have any means of defense on this field…

"Thanks…" She lowered her head. "You cared a lot about him, am I correct?" "Oh. It's just… I can't put it in words properly…" The CPU Candidate's cheeks flushed. If she reacted in such embarrassment then there could be several explanations, however, I didn't care enough to analyze them. "But I'm sure wherever he is now, he's doing fine. And I feel he's Joker." Nepgear added enthusiastically although she quickly realized it and blushed even further. "Runcorn is Joker? Hmm… Interesting. What makes you say that?" Maybe I shouldn't burst this small bubble of hope for this kid. Therefore, I decided to stay silent, praying she would naively buy my irony without thinking. "I don't know. It's just I feel this way." Alright. Good for you then. "Let's get going. I already grasped the layout of the complex." I increased the tempo, leaving her slightly behind. To catch up with me, Nepgear trotted along, forgetting about the whole conversation.

I wondered what Sylvette was scheming. By this time there was no way she didn't know about my departure, so the fact she hadn't taken any direct steps yet was indeed a mystery. Though deflecting from the Order could be even punished by execution, I doubted any assassins would come after me in the near future. Sylvette wasn't an idiot and would unnecessary throw away any human resources, maybe only when she wanted to get rid of some troublesome individuals, although she fully knew I wouldn't do her such favors. For that reason, if any moves were to be made against me, Sylvette would definitely take them personally.

"Look. We're already here!" Nepgear pointed out on the chamber with UT1-765 engraved on the door and rushed over to enter yet another passcode. From behind her shoulder I spotted it was 6006 this time around. After that, we could already enter the room. By the way, each of the chambers we passed had a similar password lock and I guessed each required different combination. Talk about being practical…

Interior of this space highly contrasted to the design I witnessed before. Though the floor was more of less identical, the walls here were darker and looked rather reinforced. Frankly, I didn't care much about from what material they were made, but from the first impression I assumed it was some kind of obsidian but I couldn't determine more. Maybe it was something the Basilicom had secretly developed, so I shouldn't be surprised.

In the center of this space there was a locked case. Despite the fact I couldn't see through its cover, I was sure that the sword inside of it was indeed a magical item. I just had an eye for those… "Please, wait a moment. I'm already unlocking it." Nepgear announced and what a shocker, used another keypad, although this time I didn't bother to check the numbers as I focused my entire attention on the slowly opening lid.

"Hmm… It's… unexpectedly plain." I couldn't bring myself to come up with any wittier comment. The normalness of this sword caught me so much off guard that if it was a battle, I would have already been killed long time ago. Literally nothing about this weapon indicated any special properties. Staring from the simplest and the least attractive hilt, which only notable feature was the engravement of letters U and T, to the dull point of the blade... Did this thing had any actual battle functionality? Nah, I didn't think so. Even poking someone's eye out with it could turn out to be challenging.

"I take it that UT are initials of the creator, right?" To hide my disappointment, I pretended to be interested in that. "Yes, that's true. According to the information we have, it was made by one of the first CPUs of this nation. However, it is all we know…" "Fascinating…?" I dismissingly bobbed my head, moving to the other side of the display. Thinking about it wouldn't benefit us anyhow. "Let's give it a try. May I?"

Nepgear loudly swallowed and gave her okay. So, the moment of truth had finally arrived. Honestly, my expectations for this seemingly cheap piece of steel were practically nonexistent, but… Who knew? Maybe something epic would really occur? I firmly closed my fingers on the surface of the grip and here goes…

Nothing. How anticlimactic… "Hey, are you sure something cool was supposed to happen?" I sent a questioning look to Nepgear. "I've got no clue! Maybe it's broken…" She replied, though I could feel her dissatisfaction too. "Can't entirely rule it out. Although we might have missed something… Have you tried taking it off to pieces before?" "Taking off to pieces? How?" She covered her mouth. "Normally. You didn't notice this rift?"

Upon the closer inspection I found a spot where two pieces of the grip connected. Quite an unusual design, I dared to say. Nearly like if the weapon had been produced in a toyish style. "Rift?" Nepgear didn't know about what I mentioned. "Here." I showed it to her. "Are you sure? I can't see anything." The CPU Candidate curiously leaned forward. Perhaps revealing the secret of my empowered senses wasn't a good call, so I decided to distract her with a cover up.

"It's easy to overlook, however, if you carefully run your fingers on the surface… Exactly like that… You should feel it as well." I gently seized her hand and presented the solution while maintain the sensual touch. As I predicted, she reacted nervously, immediately reddening on her cheeks. Weren't such young girls the easiest targets to manipulate? Especially those naïve ones with idealistic views on the subject of male female relationships.

"My goodness. You're right! It's so tiny. There was nothing about it in the database!" Nepgear's eyes sparked with excitement as she began to browse her N-Gear. It seemed she wouldn't ask any more questions, so I could safely continue with my inspection.

Hmmm? A button? Suddenly my nail met with something movable but I didn't risk pressing it yet. "Hey, Gearlie. There's nothing about any switches there, is there?" The nickname I gave her kind of confused her, however, she still checked it and then replied. "I'm sorry. I've already told you all we know." Which was practically naught.

"Leave this room at once." I ordered. "Huh? Why?" "I'm going to check it out." "It might be dangerous!" Nepgear protested. "And that's exactly the reason. I'll be fine even if it explodes but I cannot guarantee your safety." As long as I didn't know the effect, my reaction could turn out not fast enough to protect her. "But I wanna see what happens!" "You will through the closed door. Unless you have a death wish. Because if you do, there are more humane ways to end your life than leaving it to such lottery." I cut through Candidate's childish complaint. Maybe I didn't sense any serious threat, but any harm on her would be my responsibility and I wasn't planning on taking it. For that reason, I waited until she reluctantly reached the safe area and then, confidently pressed the tiny button. Alright, time for the round two…

Immediately, the object I held became engulfed by shadows. A cloud of dark energy began to spread around my hand, eventually sinking into my skin. Though it certainly looked very ominous, I didn't feel any danger in this process. It was like if the sword was binding with my body, nothing more. After it was done, all light from the room vanished.

A while passed and everything returned to normal. That awkward piece of weaponry had truly changed and transformed into a fully-fledged one-handed sword. 'Erebus' reminding a dignified handwriting letters appeared on the surface of the dark blade. Despite the fact it had a physical form, it felt so light, I had to confirm it. The grip also matched this style. If it wasn't for the shiny red gem decorating the pommel, I would have thought this sword was a condensed form of darkness. If this weapon really adapted to me then what did it mean? Was my soul so rotten and dark? I laughed inside.

Holding Erebus was such an incredible experience… I slowly swung it a few times. The sword moved as if it was a natural extension of my arm. Not even my old weapon could compare to that. Simply amazing… And it cut the air with some kind of aftershock. Fascinating. But what if I actually put some more strength into it? I thought and tested out at once.

"Oh no, we are in a big trouble…" On the way back to the Basilicom Nepgear had been close to tears. "Don't worry. Besides it was all my fault. I destroyed half of that room…" Because of my lack of thoughtfulness, a small 'earthquake' occurred. Putting it in simple words, Erebus turned out to be an extremely powerful weapon. If a single half-speed swing was enough to fire such wave, I wondered what would have happened if I decided to go all-out with this weapon.

"I was with you for the whole time. It makes me guilty too. Histoire is going to be so mad!" "Like I said, you have done nothing wrong, Nepgear. As long as we don't tell them, no one will know the truth. I memorized all passwords and I can sneak in later to finish fixing it. Just trust me and don't say anything unnecessary, okay?" Thinking about it this way, if only people who had access to that place were the three inhabitants of the Basilicom and me, it was possible to keep the damage done as a secret relatively long. According to what I was told, neither the goddess and the Oracle never visited that place, though their reasons were different. However, there was still a bigger problem…

"What should we do about the sword? It disappeared." Shortly after the incident, Erebus dematerialized in front of my eyes. Even I didn't understand this phenomenon although the fact was undeniable. The sword stopped to exist and turning into small chunks of particles, evaporated out of my grasp. "Leave it to me. I'll think of the solution." I said to reassure her though I was puzzled by this situation as well.

When we reached the backdoor, we heard raised voices. "They already know?!" As to be expected from the pushover Candidate, she was already seeing the worst possible scenario. "There is no way. To me it looks like an argument between those two. But I don't know about what yet." "Maybe we should stay away until they finish...?" "No, let's go in." Ignoring utterly terrified by this idea Nepgear, I confidently pressed the handle and walked inside.

It wasn't as bad as she thought. Apparently, we made it on the very end of their quarrel and now, both of the parties were sulking, Histoire in the living room and the goddess – on the shoe shelf in the corridor. To make the situation seem even more tragic, she had transformed into her Purple Heart form. According to my intel she would never do that on a whim, meaning something important was going on.

An emergency? Probably not of the kind I had in mind, because if that was the case, she wouldn't stay here with arms crossed, but rather, she would have already flown away in the direction of the trouble. "Am I interrupting something?" My question wasn't directed to anyone in particular and it was the Oracle who answered it. "Nothing really. Neptune had been throwing a tantrum after I prohibited her from using the CPU status to acquire a copy of a new video game. More importantly, how did it go downstairs? (a face of mixed disappointment and curiosity)" "I managed to get it to work, however…" And so, I described the situation, changing some unfavorable facts.

"That is worrying… Anyway, I am glad both of you are fine. Thank you for your assistance. I will research that in the due time. Unlike a certain someone, you are very reliable person, V. (angry face towards Neptune)" "And what was that supposed to mean?!" An offended voice of Purple Heart rang out from behind of my back. "Precisely what you heard, Neptune. Do I have to spell it out for you again? As the leader you cannot do such things just to buy a game! (furious face)" "I waited so long for it! And there's only a limited number of copies, sold only in one shop. If I don't do that this way, I won't be able to play it at all!" "You have already so much of those! There is no need for more! (even angrier face)" "You don't understand, do you? It's a remake of a famous old RPG I loved. As a fan it's something I must get!"

Both of them seemed to be going at each other's throats with such intensity they forgot about the surrounding. If things were to keep this way, I could see them retorting to violence any second now, so for the sake of the entire nation's peace and Nepgear, who looked like if she wanted to calm them down but didn't how, I had to interfere. I owed that much to this poor kid.

"Quit it." Using the most threa… I meant, convincing tone I could muster, I successfully silenced the arguing duet and the room went silent. I had to admit, I might have kind of overdid it although a bit of a shock wouldn't kill them, or at least I hoped so. As everyone began to stare at me with fear, I began to feel slightly awkward. Yeah, perhaps I shouldn't have butted in. In the end, I might have appeared as a quite dangerous person, so it could be interpreted as a sign of hostility from my side. If it was Yuki and Kurusu, they would have immediately apologized and for a time being, they would have been desperately trying to appeal to my good side, however, here, in the Basilicom things were different. Those three were in fact leaders of a country and they weren't used to such aggressive treatment like the one I had just presented. "I'm going back to the hotel room. If you need me again, you know where to find me." I announced and calmly made my way out.

As a matter of fact, I lied to them. I never intended to return to the hotel, I temporarily settled in. I went straight to the shopping district to begin a new operation.

Usually I wouldn't do anything which didn't benefit me just for the sake of someone else, however, on this occasion I felt like I should do an exemption. I had a weird hunch acquiring a copy of that game for the goddess would lead to some unforeseen conclusion, therefore, I decided to give it a try.

Though I didn't have the whole story, I quickly acquired sufficient intel to determine the shop mentioned by Purple Heart was called NepPlayGames. It was a minimarket for gamers and it was situated on the Victory street number 2. Posters and other advertisements on its building matched with the description I heard, so it was safe to assume I hit the jackpot. So, how should I do that?

Going in like a regular customer was out of option. Even though it was barely 10 pm, the line was considerably large. I was too lazy to count all of the people present, however, I could still say the group was more or less comparable to the number of available copies, so waiting for my turn could end up in failure, meaning I had to look for a less conventional solution.

Of course, sneaking into the store and snatching the object was the smartest move but doing so would leave a bad aftertaste as I didn't hit the bottom yet. I was capable of stealing the most valuable and protected goods, so going for such item as a game would hurt my pride.

Because of that, I left my hideout on the top of the neighboring building and using the lighting rod, I slid down to the ground. The distance from the roof wasn't the greatest, however, I didn't want to make any noise by falling down, such a habit of mine. Reminding myself that it was no longer necessary, I hugged the wall at the corner of the alley.

Not too far from my location stood a purple van. It had a logo of Nepstation on it. A TV crew? Honestly, I didn't think such event would attract the biggest television station of this nation. Though I couldn't see any cameras close by, I had to remain vigilant as I wished to avoid appearing on their footage. You could never know who was watching it… Nonetheless, once I made sure the path was clear, I swiftly crossed the street.

I managed to safely reach my destination unnoticed. With this provisional village it wasn't particularly challenging to hide my presence, so I could easily access shop's back alley by climbing over the wall.

One target in sight. A young male employee, around 20, with unkept facial hair. Did he somehow hear me? He stopped for a moment and gazed over in the direction of my position behind the garbage bin. No, that had to be just an accidental coincidence as he put down his cigarette and headed back. However, before he could reach the door, I grabbed him by his throat and pinned against the brick wall. "Take me to your leader… I mean boss."

Few moments later, I was already in the office of NepPlayGames' owner. After exchanging greetings, we sat down to talk. "Basilicom having a business with us on such time? How can I help you, mister Runcorn?" A slightly overweighed old man with a moustache befitting a plumber didn't expect such a guest like myself and now he was probably worried that they had broken a law, or something along those lines. I could sense how stressed he was while looking into my eyes. On the side note, when I was planning on taking advantage of Michael Runcorn's badge I didn't think it would be that effective. Everyone believed me at the spot once I showed it to them.

"This event seems rather popular from what I have noticed." I casually stroke up a conversation. "Oh, yes. We didn't anticipate such crowds to be honest." He replied with a tense expression on his face. Thanks to that I could see this man was very passionate about his job and wished to deliver the best possible experience for his customers. "But will you be able to pull it off?" A second of silence and then…

"About that, I'm slowly beginning to worry." "Why is that?" "Not so long ago I received phone calls from the three of my employees. They won't be able to come to work tomorrow from personal reasons. Just how much of bad luck can we have?" The owner lamented. "So, you are minus three…" Though I wouldn't be honest if I said I was surprised, I pretended to calmly analyze the situation.

"How many people do you need to pull this off?" I proceeded to the next point. "I started strategizing with a thought of the total 12. Excluding those excused and the part timer you met, we are missing at least two pairs of hands." "I see. By the way, how's that boy doing?" Despite the fact I had no ill-intentions, it seemed lacks of politeness on my behalf had accidently traumatized him. "Still covering in fear. I have my wife taking care of him right now." "Sorry about that. Anyway, the reason why I am here is because Lady Purple Heart delegated me to check on you and help if it's necessary. And I see it might be the case. That's why, please allow me to join your team for this one day, Sir!" Finishing this beautifully sounding lie I saluted to the shop owner whose eyes sparked. "She always watches, doesn't she?" He whispered and then turned to me. "I appreciate it, Mr. Runcorn. Please thank our Lady in our stead. However, even with you present here we still need…" "About that, I think I may have a plan. Please listen…"

First of all, the entire shop had to be cleaned up. Considering how much time there was, we weren't in a hurry, so I decided to join the regular mopping team without any magic. Even people from different nations came here tonight, so NepPlayGames had to be absolutely shining as thinking for the future, it was also a perfect marketing occasion. For that reason, I could see why the crew was so fired up. Those people seemed to share the views of the owner. What a bunch of weirdos… Unless they were offered a raise for today, I could hardly understand their motivation.

Next, setting up the display. While running a business in trade, it was a skill one must have mastered in order to prosper. All products had to be placed in perfect spots, not only for customers' convenience, but also to maximize a potential profit. Many markets would place bread and other similar products at the opposite corner of the building from the entrance, so those who got in just to buy one thing would be exposed to variety of other crap which they didn't even think about a minute ago. If something looked attractive enough to trigger an impulse, instead of purchasing just a loaf of bread, such client could end up with a packet of snacks, a lemon and maybe even a new TV.

Such tactics weren't uncommon for shops with games too. On the specifically designated area there were rows of shelves ready to be used and on the way there, caskets of series-oriented merchandise were placed. Mainly keychains, mousepads and other small accessories. I was thinking about snatching one for the CPU, however, since she said she was a fan, she must have already owned a bunch, even though I wasn't aware of it.

"Alright, that's the end." I handed over the last remaining box with games to the person next to me. Though we only had 300 hard copies, each container held only 5 of them as products such as disks required special treatment during delivery. In the end, it would be bad if something bad happened to it, wouldn't it?

"Thank you for your help. The next shift should arrive shortly. Would you like a cup of coffee before that?" The female shop assistant, whose name I had already forgotten asked me. By the looks she seemed a bit older than me, but because I was a battle-hardened alleged secretary of the goddess, she talked to me very politely, not like if to a normal colleague. "Sure, thanks. I'll join you in a sec, once I talk to the old man." The girl nodded and departed.

"It went better than I thought. We wouldn't have made it without you, Mr. Runcorn." The one I was looking for ambushed me on the shop's main floor. Though there were still slightly more than three hours before the deadline, everything was already set up. "You're exaggerating." "No, I'm not. Quality over quantity is what we wish to be known for." "That's very noble of you. Is what we discussed ready?" "Yes. Please, follow me."

The owner led me downstairs to a certain unlabeled room. Although his prediction about workforce wasn't correct, there was still a need for one more person on board, especially for the last remaining hours as the moods of the crowd would definitely be on the edge. After such long wait, everyone there must have gotten impatient to a certain degree, so even appearance of a single spark could effortlessly ignite a large fire. If for an example, a group of people decided to siege the shop, chaos would start. I didn't expect any terrorists to begin it on purpose, nonetheless, it was still better to be safe than sorry, especially since I'd prefer not having to deal with any of this shit.

"Looks like the original one." On the rack similar to those in clothing stores there was a white vest. "Our son belongs to Joker's fan club, so whether we like it or not, we had seen it many times." Boss' wife explained. She was the one who managed to adapt it from one of the old uniforms and I had to admit, she had done a splendid job. The real thing had been already disposed of but this copy wouldn't be seen through even by the keenest eye. I thanked her for assistance and picked it up. To think I was going to do this anyway… Anyhow, Joker's requiem had just begun.

Uff… Finally, it was over… It had been a lengthy and a busy night, so even I couldn't help but to experience a little of exhaustion. Sluggishly sipping coffee from the green, pipe-reminding mug I reminisced the events of last night, or more precisely, this morning.

Joker's appearance on the top of NepPlayGames certainly stirred a lot of media attention, however, such advertisement for the shop wasn't my primary goal. Though I wasn't aware of it at the time, before that there had been several incidents, like a brawl or an attempt to break in, so having an additional authority besides the police raised the safety of the whole gathering. After pacifying a couple of arguing teenagers, helping a woman who had a seizure and scaring off another wanna-be robber, Joker managed to settle things down and everything went smoothly to the end.

It was definitely a clever idea to keep the yesterday's shift longer in work, so the new one, which arrived around 5 am was still fresh and ready even though the shop was now pretty much empty. Thanks to that, there had been no errors from the store's side.

The only people who remained on their feet for the whole night were me, boss' wife and the owner himself. Speaking of the devil, the latter had just entered the communal room in which I had been resting alone so far. "Did something happen?" I immediately shot him a question without turning back, so it wasn't a shocker to see him startle a little. "N-no, not really, Mr. Runcorn. I only wanted to tell you that everything's settled." "That's good to hear." I replied in a polite tone. I probably should be going back soon. As it was already around quarter to 8, it would be wise to get some sleep on my own as well. By the way, it was kind of impressive the whole ordeal wrapped up in mere half an hour. It seemed gamers were not a force to underestimate…

"But there's one more thing…" The owner said, preventing me from leaving the room. "In the name of the whole NepPlayGames crew, I'd like to thank you for your help. You have aided us in need and we all wish to express our gratitude. That's why, we would like you have this…" He took out a copy of the game from behind his back and moved it towards me.

"I thought everything was sold. I can't accept it. Not after I've seen all of those people who came here to get it." "Look here. With that I can no longer sell it. Remember our shop's motto?" Quality over quantity, huh? I was certain that none of the fans would care about such a crack, more to that, in my opinion its peculiar shape would even boost the market value. Besides, giving a faulty one to me was fine? What a sweet logic…

"Because of the regulations, I can't pay you any money, but that doesn't mean I will let you leave emptyhanded, even though someone else will surely reward you for it later." "But…" I didn't retort. I could see that boss wouldn't change his mind. "Even if you won't play it, I'd like you keep it as a memento of this day. None of the employees had any objections." He insisted and shoved the box into my grasp. "It was an honor and pleasure to work with you, Mr. Runcorn. Haha, if you ever need a side job, we'll gladly welcome you again." There was no other option now, I had to accept the gift and shake the owner's hand.

Moments before 8 am, I reached the backyard of the Basilicom. As I wasn't in possession of a key, I had to enter through the window or simply pick the lock of the door. At this hour most of the households would usually begin their days, so there was a chance of encountering either the Oracle or the Candidate. Purple Heart, on the other hand, appeared to me as a person who preferred to stay in bed for a couple of hours longer. Alright, I heard the characteristic clicking sound, so trying to make as little noise as it was only possible, I pressed the handle and stepped inside.

Immediately, I noticed the goddess. She must have fallen asleep here yesterday and no one actually bothered to remind her to return to the bedroom. What a nice family… "Hey, are you still alive?" I cautiously poked her shoulder. Since she was still in her goddess form, such position must have been extremely uncomfortable. Purple Heart's body was bigger than her usual self's in all sizes, not only in terms of bust, therefore, her legs were unlucky enough to be pressured against the corner of this temporary bed of a shoe shelf.

Afraid she could have passed out, I checked her pulse and breathing. They were on the normal level and stable, which reassured me. She was just deeply asleep. I loudly exhaled in relief as I didn't wish to have her die on me. She was definitely more useful to me than her younger incapable sister.

Anyway, according to my knowledge, CPUs weren't able to maintain their transformations forever, but since we were in the Basilicom, the fact she could remain like this for nearly 24 hours could be somehow explained. There were many things about goddesses that even they didn't know about themselves, so it was no wonder to come across yet another secret.

Nonetheless, I couldn't just leave her here. Not after seeing such an adorable sleeping face. It was only a natural reaction for a healthy straight male like myself to feel a sudden urge to protect upon witnessing cuteness of this level, so I decided to save her from being woken up by any of the other residents and take her to her bedroom, so she would at least stretch her limbs before awaking.

"Hngh…" After I carefully picked her up, Purple Heart made an inarticulate sound although, she didn't open her eyes. As for someone who normally used to be a leader of the nation and the symbol of strength to many, she surely looked vulnerable in my arms, nearly like some kind of a tiny animal. "And what should I do with you…?" I sighed when she suddenly confused my chest with a pillow, drooling all over my clothes. I probably shouldn't gawk at her so dumbly. Others might eventually come and after seeing us this way, greatly misunderstand, or worse, I might even fall for her. Well, as long as I was myself the latter would never happen.

Though I had never personally been there, I knew perfectly where Neptune's bedroom was. In case of an emergency, I had already memorized the layout of the entire building and designed at least five potential escape routes. Some things would never change, I guessed and navigating through the piles of variety of things on the ground, I placed Neptune on top of her bed. Considering she was barely fitting in there, I concluded that it had been made with her human form in mind, however, I wasn't able to reduce her into it. And even if I could, I wouldn't. Like a one beer was believed to be a prelude to ten of them, taking off woman's clothes without consent could lead to something completely else, that was if transformation could be seen as a change of outfit. Because of that, I decided to silently back away and preferably without being spotted, depart. However, one more thing left before that.

"You wanted this, didn't you?" I fixed the previously created by me crack on the box and slid it under her right hand. I hoped that once she woke up, she would have a pleasant surprise. I still had no clue why I was doing it, but she didn't need to know that I was the one to place it here. In the end, I was used to being in shadows. I didn't need any gratitude for my actions. Like when I hunt monsters, my goal was to entertain myself and protecting people was only a side effect I couldn't prevent.

Suddenly, Purple Heart's hand gripped mine. "I was worried about you." She spoke in a distant voice without opening her eyes. Her breathing pattern didn't show any change, so was she sleep talking? Or was she actually on the verge of waking up? I couldn't determine the cause of this occurrence, so I didn't reply. "Please don't do that again… Please don't leave…" What the hell was she talking about? Did she confuse me with someone else or what? We knew each other for barely two days.

"That sword… Have you tried calling its name?" The goddess changed the subject. "It was CPU's weapon and we can make ours do so." I on the other hand, wasn't a god, so what shall I do about that? Or wait, I was an abnormality among the abnormalities, so maybe it was worth a shot? It wasn't like I would lose anything from trying. "Erebus." I inaudibly whispered, focusing on the image of the blade.

And somehow, it worked. The shadowy sword materialized in my free hand together with its unusual aura. Neptune must have sensed the success as corners of her lips rose, forming a gentle smile. "Now then, Nep Jr. pass me some pudding…" Finally letting go of me, she drifted away.

Good night, Neptune, I told her in my thoughts. Perhaps without even being aware of it, you had just gifted me with this incredible weapon. If only you knew what consequences would that bring... I envied you this lack of foresight but I was also thankful for making me realize something. Because of those two days, I finally understood the genesis of my name. V stood for victory. No matter how hard I attempted to change, the truth would always resurface. I would scheme, manipulate and even sacrifice those who trusted me in order to reach my goal. As long as I stayed at the top, nothing else mattered.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.** **A guest**

It seemed the Basilicom wasn't going to leave me alone anytime soon. However, what interested me more was the fact I coped with their unreasonable requests like that. I didn't owe them anything and even if I did, who said I would repay such debts?

A morning of my fourth day in Planeptune. Unquestionably there were better things to do than idly sitting inside, but at least to entertain myself during this wait I borrowed one of the books from the shelve. To think a stranger like me would have been allowed to remain alone in the living section of the Basilicom… They were definitely way too trusty. And exactly for what reason? I wondered.

Apparently, some important guest was supposed to visit today but the Oracle and the Candidate had to attend a meeting connected to renovation of a certain district, while Purple Heart had gone off to assist other goddesses on a quest. None of their acquaintances was available, so I guessed that only left me. Especially since the visitor was allegedly 'peculiar' though I didn't know in what meaning of this word.

I checked on the clock. It was a quarter past eleven - exactly one hour and fifteen minutes past the scheduled time. Whoever they were, this guest had a nerve to act this way. Well, it wasn't like I behaved more properly. Or maybe some misfortune happened during their journey? For a second I considered climbing the roof to take a look around, however, I quickly reminded myself it wasn't any of my business. Even if this mysterious individual had been murdered at the doorpost, I shouldn't be concerned by that. In the end, I was only asked to stay here and keep them company until that trio came back. No one said anything about actually making sure this guest reached the Basilicom.

If there was something I regretted in my life as a reader, it had to be underestimating the popular literature. Despite the fact such books held very low amount of knowledge inside, their content turned out to be strangely engrossing. From Runcorn's library I picked up a certain light novel about a young boy who was transferred into another dimension. From a perspective of the writer, traveling through dimensions could be a fiction although, as my research indicated, it wasn't entirely out of option. I didn't plan on achieving it yet but I was sure with enough experiments and a bit of sacrifice on my side, sooner or later I would be able to find a solution to this problem. And then what? Daydreaming about what I would do was useless, though certainly I wouldn't be like the protagonist of this novel. I wouldn't fall for the first female encountered or be such a wimp.

Suddenly, I heard a weak knocking to the door. The window was half open, so if it wasn't for that, it would have been barely recognizable. Oh, finally showing up? Since the residents would have used the key to enter on their own, I deducted the one I was waiting for at last decided to arrive fashionably late. Great. I was kind of curious of their identity, therefore, I rushed towards the door.

"Knock, knock. Neppy are you home?" When I came closer a soft sleepy voice came out from outside. Geez, did that person sleepwalk here? I swore it seemed as though it was the case. Perhaps I should make haste then and open? Anyway, time to put on a mask of a nice guy, I thought switching gears inside of my mind and pressed the handle.

At that moment a small silhouette of a young girl appeared in front of my eyes. Frankly, I was slightly taken aback because of her strange outfit as it consisted of a colorful frilly dress which looked nearly like a pajama and big pink Dogoo indoor shoes. If that alone wasn't enough, she seemed a bit… off, to say the least.

The girl looked as if she wasn't fully aware of her surroundings as her half-closed magenta-colored eyes aimlessly wandered around. Was she high or what? Or was she fighting a constant battle not to fall asleep? Or maybe both at the same time? Somehow, I felt I didn't want to discover the truth. "Hello. How can I help you?" Trying to sound as friendly as I could, I knelt down to her eyelevel, so she wouldn't be intimidated by my height. By the way, I made sure to wear something more casual than my usual dark outfit and just for the sake of this occasion alone, I purchased a purple plaid shirt to blend with the setting of Planeptune more.

"Oooh, you're not Neppy? Did I confuse doors?" Though with a tiny delay, she backed away with an insecure expression on her face and tightly hugged her clearly hand-made plushie of Nepgear. Really cute. Both the girl and the toy, I meant. "No, you got it right. I'm one of Neptune's friends and she asked me to wait here and welcome you as everybody had to unexpectedly go off to work." I decided to colorize the story a little to gain her trust and it seemed to work.

"Ah, I see… I didn't know Neppy had any boy friends. Nice to meet you. I'm Plutia. And what's your name?" The visitor cheerfully asked. For a moment I considered borrowing Runcorn's name again but since I was supposed to keep this girl company until the goddesses returned, it was only a matter of time before my real identity would have been revealed. "Mine's V. Pleasure to make acquittance." "V? Is that a nickname?" Plutia bobbed her head deep in thoughts. "No. I know it may sound this way, however, that's my given one, I swear." "Oh, I understand, I think… Does it mean we're friends?" She gazed at me full of anticipation. Well, I guessed there was no point in refusing, so I nodded. "Yay. Hehe, I've never been friend with a boy. Please take care of me!"

After our initial exchange, I invited this girl inside. I had to admit, her drowsiness was contagious and I slowly began to feel sleepy as well, nevertheless, I couldn't afford to rest now. I didn't know how long it would take but I was basically forced into babysitting this sleep deprived young lady. On the second thought, I changed my mind. I noticed something interesting in Plutia and of course, it wasn't just a newly awaken in me pedophiliac instinct because I would never sink that low.

"Would you like something to drink?" When Plutia had already made herself comfortable on the couch, I began to show the Basilicom's hospitality. "Umm… Can I have some juice?" "Sure thing. Please, hold on for a moment." Giving her a slight bow, I headed to the kitchen. The whole trip didn't even last a minute but when I was back, she was already slightly snoring. "Here you are." A bit louder than it was necessary I placed the glass with strawberry juice on the table. Startled by that, Plutia jumped on her seat, returning to reality.

As I watched her drink it, I sat down on the back of the armchair. Recollecting my thoughts, I came up with a good idea on how to play out the conversation I was just intending to start. "Plutia, can I ask you something?" "Uh huh. Unless it's something hard. I'm not good with complicated stuff…" "Don't worry. You should be able to understand it. So, Plutia, you are actually a CPU, aren't you?"

Being blunt was probably the best approach. However, she didn't seem especially surprised. "Oh, you know? Did Neppy tell you all about me?" I was right. What a plot twist… From which nation she came from though? As far as I was aware of it, no new ones had been established yet, at least officially. Was Plutia some kind of an underground goddess or what? And what about the strength of her share energy? She was basically brimming with it, suppressing all of the other CPUs I met until this point.

"She mentioned quite a lot, but not that. It's something I noticed on my own. Let's say you are very similar to Neptune." I decided to leave it at that. Asking for too much could confuse this child of a goddess even more, so I had to carefully pace with information processing, not to make her tiny brain overheat. "Similar to Neppy?" She pondered and then chuckled a bit. Well, if that made her happy, then good for her…

"Anyway, is there anything you would like to eat, Plutia?" I changed the subject. "You're right. I'm hungry. Can I have something sweet, please? Can I?" "Of course. Are pancakes okay with you?" "Yes!" Plutia enthusiastically raised her hands. Alright, time to show off how cool I could be in the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later we were already all set. With a bit clumsy assistance from Plutia, I had prepared everything and now I was pouring some of the first batter onto the frying pan. "You're not gonna light the stove?" My kitchen helper questioned me. "No. Just watch." Saying that, I grasped a second pan and repeated the sequence. When both of them were ready, I set out several plates in various locations of the room and grabbed the bowl with the dough. Though Plutia didn't seem to understand what I was trying to accomplish, she didn't interrupt when I placed the container on my knee and entered some kind of weird mantis position. Moving onto the next point of the program, I began to heat the pans with magic and… The curtain had risen.

"Whoa! V, you're amazing!" Mesmerized by the spectacle, Plutia kept on clapping and cheering as I continued with juggling one after another pancake between the two frying pans with my hands and the batter bowl with my legs. After each of them was finished, I would send them flying towards the plates and resupply the pans without spilling any of the material on the floor. Frankly, it wasn't much of a challenge to me although, for an average person such coordination might have indeed appeared as marvelous. And it wasn't still all I had. Perhaps I was slightly getting carried away but I would have lied if I didn't admit I enjoyed it. Knowing that someone else had fun watching me goof around turned out surprisingly thrilling, so since I was slowly running out of the dough, I decided to finish up with something even more spectacular. However, in all of that, I made one fatal mistake.

"We're home!" Before I realized, CPU Candidate walked in with two shopping bags. There wouldn't have been anything disastrous in that if it wasn't for the fact that she stopped in kitchen's threshold, right in the trajectory of the last pancake I had just thrown. "Neppy Jr! Watch out!" Plutia screamed, though her warning was too late. In estimated time of two seconds, the incomplete mash would land on her face and badly burn her skin.

Although it didn't happen. I was faster than that and catching Nepgear by her waist, I made her bend backwards, like in some fancy dance move. In the meantime, the pancake had flown millimeters from her nose and passed past us. Uff… The crisis had been safely resolved. Or so I thought before I noticed it wasn't over yet.

There was one more person who was in the line of fire – the Oracle. Shit! Such missile would surely kill her on spot and since I was still holding Nepgear, I wouldn't be able to reach her in time. What should I do? That would have been the lamest assassination in the history of Gamindustri and I didn't want to have memory of my name stained by such achievement. I had to do something despite having very limited options. Therefore, I used the disintegrating spell on the pancake. Luckily, I was quick enough to succeed and got rid of the problem right in front of Oracle's eyes.

"Histy?! Are you okay?" Plutia stormed out in fear. "Yes… I believe so… (a face of someone close to a heart attack)" "Sorry about that." Finally letting go of Nepgear, I apologized to both of them. It was childish of me to act this way, so I was glad that nothing bad occurred out of my temporal idiocy. "It's fine, I guess. Though you had me scared for a moment…" The Candidate added placing her hand on her heart.

"Since you guys are back, I shall be going." I announced. I had already fulfilled my goal here, so there was no reason to prolong my visit. "You can't stay any more, can you?" Plutia gazed down with sadness in her voice. "About that, V, I am sorry to bother you again, however, I need to ask you for favor again. (apologetic face)" She wanted to give me more work? No, thank you. I had to pass on that… "You see, a matter which requires my attention had suddenly appeared. I cannot leave Plutia alone with just Nepgear, thus would you be able to spare a bit more of your time until I am finished? (pleading face)" I knew it. Gladly, I had a great excuse. "No can do. My appointment in the hospital is today. I have to get going or I will be late."

"V, are you sick?" The fifth goddess worried about me. "No, no. It's only a regular check-up." Although it might turn out completely useless, I didn't cancel this examination as there was a slim chance I may learn something more about the origin of the visions, that was, unless they were indeed caused by a third-party element. "V, can I come with you? Doctors are scary, so I can hold your hand if you're afraid…" A childish sentiment, yet still pleasant to hear. "It's going to be boring. Are you sure?" Plutia nodded. I could see she wasn't going to budge, so I internally sighed. "Well, that could certainly be a solution? Do you think you can handle it? (relieved face)" Histoire agreed, putting me in a tight spot. Therefore, a serious decision had to be made.

"If that can't be helped… Then why don't you join us, Nepgear? We can hit something like ice cream stand on the way back. My treat." "Huh? M-me?" The CPU Candidate was caught off guard by my offer. "Yeah. Money isn't an issue for me, so both of you can have as much as you like." "For real?! Thanks, V! You seemed really frightening at first, but you're a nice person." "Don't be so sure of that. Anyway, I'll wait for you to get ready outside, ladies." And without waiting for opinions, I left the Basilicom. Though I'd rather relax in solitude, it seemed I had to endure more of it today. Ugh…

A tragedy. That was the most accurate word to describe events which took place in the hospital. In the end, only basic tests like blood sample were possible to be performed on me as for some strange reason, all other devices, especially x-rays, literally exploded when activated with me in their range.

Not gonna lie, that was highly disturbing and kind of depressing. Despite the fact doctors didn't blame me and assumed that their equipment must have been faulty, I still wrote a check to repay them for every lost machine. Damn. Probably for the first time in my life I felt that guilty over something so trivial. It would suck if someone innocent died because they wouldn't be able to properly diagnose and operate.

"Please, don't be sad, Mr. V. You did nothing wrong." Seeing my negative attitude, Nepgear tried to reassure me. "Yeah. If you're sad then I feel like I'm gonna cry too." Plutia joined her, making a small break in the process of licking her ice cream. As I promised, I treated those two for coming with me. Plutia ordered chocolate-vanilla-raspberry mix with crispy dressing, while Nepgear chose a humble two vanillas and to the end she insisted on paying on her own. Such a modest girl…

"I'm fine. Just eat up before it melts." I stood up from the bench and gazed into the sky. The weather was pleasant although I spotted a number of clouds, meaning in the late evening it was going to rain a bit. "About what we discussed yesterday, Nepgear." "Hmm… You mean the gun? I already went through the blueprints." "And? Any ideas?" The aforementioned gun was my loot from Trinity's HQ. It seemed that it was missing a certain part, but I didn't have enough knowledge in this field to figure out what was needed to make it functionable. In the past, I never used such technology, so my research never crossed the bare minimum. That was why I consulted this young tech genius. For having me help out, it was finally time to do something for me in return.

"I think I can fix it. Though I don't know how long it'll take and some expensive parts might be needed." "You do? That's good then. State estimated expenses and I'm going to fully cover the whole operation." "Sure. A new electronics store is opening tomorrow, so I'll check it out. Hopefully, I'll be able to find something nice there." Yeah, me too. Being in possession of a reliable ranged weapon could be very beneficial, so in a way I was looking forward to have this tool done. My spells might certainly be powerful, but in my opinion, I couldn't afford to ignore modern day's gadgets.

"Oh, what are you talking about? Are you a cop, V? Cops always have guns." Plutia curiously tilted her head. "I'm…" Actually, thinking about that, currently I had no official occupation. "I'm a freelance hunter. Call me any time monsters appear." "Wow! That sounds really cool!" Whatever suited you, girl. Half-ignoring Plutia's excitement, I turned around as I unexpectedly noticed we were being watched.

A blue-haired girl in white coat with black trimmings stared intently into my eyes, while keeping a slightly roguish smirk on her face. "So, we meet again. It was truly a choice of Door of the Stone Fate, it was…" Uh, some weirdo showed up. By the way, was she talking to me?

"Hello MAGES." "Greeting to you too, Nepgear. Plutia as well." "Hi." I see… I must have grown too self-conscious. This person was just an acquittance of the goddesses. "Care to introduce me to this member of the organization over here?" The newly arrived pointed at me. Huh? Was she somehow aware of Order's existence? No, I doubted that. This woman seemed to suffer to a certain disorder, commonly referred to as chuunibyou or 8th grader syndrome. I had encountered enough of such uncurable cases to give a rapid diagnosis.

"You're right. MAGES., this is Mr. V. He's searching for Mr. Secretary. Mr. V, this is MAGES. and…" However, this MAGES. didn't allow Nepgear to finish the introduction and seized the initiative on her own. "I am mad magician. It's so cool…" But she didn't calculate I would do the same to her. "Yeah. Hi." Though for a second, I thought MAGES. was going to start pouting, in the end she seemed not to be bothered by that and smoothly recovering from a bizarre pose she made during her line, she nearly poked my left eye with her finger. "Your eye." "What of it?" Just whatever. Less I complained, the faster those shenanigans would end, so I decided to let her say her piece. "It's artificial, isn't it?"

Artificial? Excuse me? "Are you sure about that? I'm pretty much convinced I was born this way, you know?" "Yes. It's magic. A very powerful one to that. I sense a spirit as well." My vision had been indeed special although, could she be right? I doubted that. I could see 360 degrees around me and notice more than any other human in the history was able to, however, it wasn't possible everything was caused by one artificial eye. Even if, there had to be more to that, though what? "You can feign ignorance all you want. You won't fool me. My mad magician's instincts are telling me, you hide even greater secrets. Because if you didn't, why would you have altered your own memory?"

"…" I couldn't retort anyhow to that. Despite the fact, I surely didn't do it to myself as MAGES. suggested, I was already suspecting my brain had been tampered with. "Ha. It seems I was correct! The organization began to use more advanced techniques. I'll call you back soon once I learn more. Loohcs tneve emag noitamina cisum." Finishing a clearly pretended phone conversation, MAGES. returned to us. "It's the last moment to unveil your plot, fiend! Or you shall be decimated to ashes!" And when did I become the villain? I hadn't done anything wrong yet, had I?

"I have no clue what you're talking about…" There was no point in discussing a serious matter with an insane person. Besides, I didn't want to openly talk about my past. Some things should be buried together with my job in the Order and never float up again. "Lies. You wouldn't hesitate if my words were truly off mark." MAGES. kept pushing her luck. If it wasn't for the presence of the others, I would have a hard time preventing myself from doing something to her. Though I disliked hitting women when it wasn't necessary, this one perfectly knew how to push my buttons.

"This spell can be undone if that's your desire. A friend of one of my friends is also a friend of mine. Not to mention, since you seek my Apprentice, it might also be beneficial to me." Unexpectedly, for a moment MAGES. began to act like a normal person, however, there was something more interesting in her statement. "You knew Runcorn?" "Indeed, I knew that man. The most potent pupil I had ever met…" He must have had a lot of patience to choose this person as his teacher, but I shouldn't be talking as Sylvette was a handful as well. "Do you remember when you met him for the last time?" Perhaps I would gain a new lead this way, so asking wouldn't hurt. "I do. And I shall give you the story…"

When MAGES. finished talking, I already was certain that mentioning it was a huge mistake. Nothing out of her account brought new light on the case, only a new perspective and this alone wouldn't mean anything, although now I was at least aware of another similarity between us. Just like me, Michael Runcorn was a prodigy in terms of magic, though he was surely nowhere as powerful as me. "Thank you. That should be enough."

"Neppy Jr. what are they talking about, I wonder? I wonder?" "Don't worry, I'm not sure I follow too…" Steam began to rise out of Plutia's head as she was unable to comprehend with the flow of the conversation. Focused on ourselves, we managed to overlook the two of them weren't quite in the topic. "Ah, right, sorry. Have you finished up?" I checked on their progress with ice creams. Though a long while had passed, both of them still had a little remaining.

"Nearly. Should I hurry up?" "No need to, Nepgear. Take your time. Oh, and MAGES., want to join us? Today's all on me." Let's be polite for a change of pace... "I apricate the thought, however, I must depart right now." "That's a shame. But if there's no helping it, thanks for your assistance." "That was nothing. A true mad magician always aids those who work for them." Alright…? Nonetheless, oblivious to my ironic grin, MAGES. turned around and fixing her hat, bowed to us. "Farewell everyone." Both goddesses replied to her goodbye, but I paid no attention as I noticed something else – a young woman walking a bit further down the street.

Her skin was unnaturally pale and her movements were sluggish, lifeless. Besides me, no one seemed to had seen her state, which by all means was tragic. Normally I wouldn't give a damn about a random stranger although on this occasion there was a good reason – I sensed a dim scent of magic from the direction of her neck.

Eventually, she had limply dropped on the pavement but before any of the passersby could seize the initiative, I rushed towards her. "Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Trying to make contact I slapped woman's cheeks. Warmth of her skin was hardly perceptible and so was her breathing. What about the pulse? I touched her throat and what I found there shocked me. Though they were shallow and well hidden, I discovered two bite marks. Fangs… Some kind of animal? Unlikely. The gap between them would match with the jaw of a mammal. A human? No way… "…A vampire?"

Those were allegedly mythical creatures and no traces of them could be found anywhere. Even the Order wasn't in the possession of a definitive evidence of their existence, so if one had indeed appeared here in Planeptune, the capital was in a serious peril, even if vampirism didn't spread through the bite.

"Mr. V?! What happened? Should I call for the ambulance?" In the meantime, Nepgear, Plutia and MAGES. caught up with me. All of them seemed to understand the situation was grave but I decided not to mention my theory to them. I couldn't be sure whether the perpetrator was among the slowly gathering circle of onlookers or not, so if I were to spill the beans here, I would have voluntarily resigned of this advantage.

"No. I'll carry her there on my own!" Though my word could suggest otherwise, I doubted any treatment would help. It was frustrating to admit, however, there was nothing I could do for this person. Maybe besides staking her and even that wasn't sure… "And you guys go STRAIGHT home! I'll meet you in the Basilicom later." I wished they would listen to me. As long as the threat of the vampire wasn't going to be properly assessed, Planeptune wasn't safe for anyone. Not even I felt confident. Sources about their abilities weren't credible. If I at least could somehow confirm their numbers… Fuck. Breaking through the crowd with the dying in my arms, I used the nearby car to jump onto the roof of the stationery shop. From it, onto a higher point and this way, I should no longer be visible for those on the street.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14. Operation: Little Sister in Distress**

At least for now I decided to keep my discovery just to myself. Even though more people would undeniably fall victims because of that, from the long-time perspective it had to be done. A hunter who was clueless about strengths and weaknesses of his prey was nothing more than a reckless fool, so in other words, I had to keep observing. All day, all night. I intended to learn everything about my enemy. From the areas of predation to camouflaging and modus operandi. Hopefully, soon enough I would gain a 'living' specimen, so that could greatly contribute not only to my hunt but also, science.

"M-M-Mr. V?! Why are you here?!" Suddenly, a petrified voice of Nepgear brought me back to present. Since the Basilicom was the highest point in the vicinity, I picked its tower as my orientation point. Anyway, considering that the Candidate caught me here and I heard a sound of something spilling, I presumed she came here to clean the windows. Quite an original routine, given how early in the morning it was.

"I was stargazing. Apologies for scaring you." I said flicking my fingers. "The view on the sky is perfect from here." "You should have said something! If I knew, I would have at least brought some tea and snacks for you." Aw, such a sweet girl… "I didn't want to bother you. Lights were already turned off when I arrived. At any rate, I should get going…" It was the time to patrol a different district. "Please, wait! Others are slowly waking up. Why don't you come in for a second? We can eat breakfast together if you want to." I was about to turn her down when something unforeseen occurred – my stomach let out a rather remarkable growl. "Well, actually it might not be the worst idea… Thanks."

Twenty minutes later all of us already gathered around the dining table. Frankly, I felt out of place in this environment that for a second I thought of taking this 'order' out, but once I had seen how much effort CPU Candidate put into preparing a meal for me, I changed my mind. Did I discover an unexpected little sister complex in me? For some strange reason, it felt kind of nice to have someone younger look after for me, even for such a short period of time.

"For reals, dude. Seeing you first thing in the day sure is weird. I hope you didn't try anything funny when we were sleeping. Girls need some privacy, you know? Even if they are goddesses." I wondered how I should interpret the implied meaning of Neptune's words though in the end, I decided to ignore her. "Big sister! Don't say that. Mr. V isn't that kind of person. Besides, are you really going to eat just that again?" Nepgear called out from the kitchen. "Pudding is love. Pudding is life! My body doesn't tolerate anything what isn't pudding!" The goddess screamed out, abruptly kicking with her short legs.

"Calm down, Neptune! I cannot focus because of you! (stressed face)" Even though Histoire as the Tome didn't need to consume food, she also joined us, but it looked as if her mind was somewhere else. "Is there anything wrong?" I asked out of curiosity. "That is what I am trying to figure out now. V, could you take a look and give me your thoughts, please? (nervous face)" "Yeah." Replying, I leaned forward to check what she was pointing on in her book.

"Symbols are turning red? What does it mean?" Despite the fact, I couldn't decipher what was written there, I immediately realized how the font was gradually reddening. Though the process was still hardly perceptible, it was definitely an abnormality and I could see why the Oracle was so worked up about it. "I have no idea. It is happening for the first time in history of this nation. And also, this… (scared face)" Histoire started to browse the following pages and skipping the still covering itself ones, she eventually reached the part with even more ominous signs.

"Burns?" I couldn't believe it. Though the paper looked as if it had indeed been scorched, there was no difference in the texture. I even touched it with my own fingers. Not to mention, it was the furthest we could go as the remaining pages seemed to be stuck together. "This is tomorrow. The place where next day is going to be recorded… (terrified face)"

"Seriously?" Perhaps I understood it more than anyone else, including Histoire herself. Of course, there was still a possibility of a simple mistake, a malfunction of the Tome, however, this status could have a great symbolic meaning to it. Basically, it suggested we had no future. I was certain that if it wasn't just a coincidence, some sort of cataclysm would take place soon. No, not soon. Today. Then what the hell I was doing here, playing family with goddesses? Likely, this and the appearance of the vampire in Planeptune were tied to each other, so the fate of this country was in my hands. Obviously, I didn't plan on being a hero of justice, but if there was anything I could accomplish to prevent the disaster, I would at least attempt to. In the long run, my business would also suffer if this land was to be destroyed.

Suddenly, I heard something hit the table. "Snore…" Apparently, Plutia, to whom no one paid any attention to this point had fallen asleep and dropped face down on her plate. Luckily, very little of jam was placed on her pancake, so besides her gaining an outstanding raspberry moustache, no losses were to be noted down. I felt how much of tension this small event relieved and even though I knew I shouldn't be doing so, I couldn't help but to laugh. It was something I would never predict on my own, so reactions of surrounding me people were understandable. When someone who barely expressed any emotions did something like that out of nowhere, anyone would stare at him dumbfounded until he finished.

Once the breakfast was over, Neptune and Plutia had run off somewhere to play and Histoire kept on researching the issue of the Tome, leaving me and Nepgear to our devices. "Mr. V, what are you going to do now?" She asked finishing cleaning up the dishes. "There's something I must attend to in the town… What about you?" "Same, I guess. I'm meeting with IF in few and we're going shopping. Do you want to come along?" "I'll pass. Don't want to interrupt you, girls." Because there were more urgent matters on hand. I had to visit a certain place for the sake of research. "Oh, that's a shame. Anyway, why don't we head out together at least? If it's fine with you, that is." Watching her starting to prepare for outing, I waged my options. Actually, no harm would come from agreeing. "Yeah. Let's." I said and shortly after, we departed out of the Basilicom.

Though effects were yet to arrive, I was confident that my plan proceeded smoothly and such limited amount of time wouldn't make any difference. Positively thinking, maybe even before the night I would have saved the town from the vermin which lurked in its shadows. For that reason, I had to make sure I was well equipped. With how things were, all resources were a blessing and I couldn't neglect any since more than just my life was at stake. Therefore, a couple of hours later I returned to the Basilicom to meet up with Nepgear and see whether she managed to buy the parts for my gun.

I knocked to the door. Being polite was important, especially since I had already ambushed inhabitants of this building earlier on. I knew from my personal experience that having someone get into your place without permission could be troublesome, so I wasn't going to act as Sylvette. Geez, even remembering this name caused my mood to instantly worsen…

A while had passed and the door finally opened. "Oh, it's you again. Wassup?" "I've got a business with your sister. Is she home?" "Business with Nep Jr.? Nepu?! Is she already in that age?" The goddess jumped to some bizarre conclusions. "Nothing of such sort. I requested assistance in fixing something. That's all." "Ah, hehe. By bad then. Kiddo's still away but should return anytime now. Come inside and let's wait together for her!" Enthusiastically swinging her hands around, Neptune invited me in.

However, that 'anytime' turned out to be irritatingly long. Though I stayed for half an hour, there was no sign of the CPU Candidate. Did she forget? Before we parted ways, we made an appointment and she had been already late for it more than it was acceptable. I believed I made it clear I was in a hurry…

Anyway, using this opportunity I learned quite a lot about Plutia. As I was told, she was a goddess of Planeptune of a parallel dimension and thanks to the shared by our and her versions of Histoire connection, a portal could be established although only CPUs could pass through it. Despite the fact I hadn't gained any more than that, I was still glad to hear this story. It was a tiny step on the road of progress and I wouldn't let it go to waste.

During the whole time, I also kept watching over the Oracle, who continuously worked, inspecting the anomaly. Though I didn't ask her that directly, from her facial expressions I assumed the situation was only getting worse and the threat didn't vanish. Too bad… Though I'd have lied if I didn't admit I enjoyed this status of uncertainty, on the other hand, dealing with all of this was a pain. And I'd rather avoid it.

BANG. BANG. Suddenly a despair filled knocking rang out, sharpening my senses. Others also froze and gazed in the direction of the door. "Guys! Open up! Something terrible happened!" It was IF. Although her voice was extremely shaking, I recognized her at once. This unfortunate soul sure had it rough, huh? Not so long ago I saved her from one ordeal and what now? Seeing that no one was standing up to let her in, I took this privilege on my own.

"Well, good morning." I said as IF literally fell inside. If I hadn't grabbed her by her neck, she would have surely hit the floor. "It's okay. Now tell us your story, little bird." To save us hearing a bunch of chaotic rambling, I used a calming spell on her. Being emotional never helped and since I already had enough of shit on my plate, I didn't want to pile any more than it was necessary. "Nepgear… She had been kidnapped…" IF informed us in an awfully monotonous tone caused by my magic.

"What?! My kid sister?" Neptune's jaw dropped. I couldn't still determine whether she was genuinely anxious but it was the first I witnessed her using such voice. I also couldn't ignore this. It was highly plausible that was one of the steps on the way to closure of tomorrow in the Tome, so I couldn't afford to walk away here. Before anyone else could speak up, I began to extract the testimony.

"When did you see her for the last time?" "We went to the new shop… My phone rang, so I had to go outside to answer… It was from the Guild…" "How long did it take?" "Less than 10 minutes…" "And what then?" "I went back… But no one saw her there…" Very limited time, a disappearance in public… I already figured out it had been carefully prearranged. The owners of the shop could be accomplices or even culprits themselves, however, at this point it was only an assumption. "Any evidence?" "No… Nothing suspicious on the cameras… No witnesses…" People couldn't possibly evaporate like that. But more importantly… "What makes you say she was kidnapped?"

However, someone else replied. "This. (hopeless face)" Histoire flew closer to me with a note, which had been dropped by IF. "Come to this place if you want to see your sister alive? What the fuck?" When I read the paper, I sneered. The perpetrator must have watched too much of cheap movies and made this letter out of cut out letters from various newspapers. Actually, it was more ridiculous than threatening, nonetheless, I wasn't going to take it too lightly. Someone who was willing to declare intent to murder a goddess was either insane enough to throw away own life or was confident to defeat all of the CPUs.

Assuming it was the latter out of two options, there would only be two people capable to pull this off. One of them was me, but since here I was right now, I obviously could cross myself out of the list, which left only her – Sylvette.

Though such schemes weren't exactly her thing, somehow I felt she had something to do with this kidnapping. Perhaps that was her way of taking revenge on me. Then again, both of us knew I wasn't equipped with morality and sympathy for others, so this method seemed strange. Was it some kind of a test? To determine whether I was still me? What an illogical idea… Completely unlike her.

"Alright. You can sleep now. You've done well." IF became useless to me, so I rendered her unconscious and placed her body on the sofa. This hysterical woman would be more of an obstacle than assistance, so removing this piece out of the chessboard was a smart move. "What have you done to Iffy?!" As to be expected, Neptune and crew didn't understand my lines of reasoning. They didn't have as much of insight on whom we were dealing with as I did, so I couldn't blame them for acting this way.

"She needs to rest. She had been through a lot of hardships these days." Theoretically, I wasn't wrong. To be honest, I was surprised IF recollected this fast. Even so, for her sanity's sake, it was better to have her stay out of this one. "And where are you going now? Are you going to abandon my sister after asking her a favor?" "V, we must save Neppy Jr! Please, help us!" How pretentious of you to assume I owed her anything just for that… Nonetheless, when I walked towards the door my intentions weren't to escape. "I'm going to take care of it." I declared. It was something I had to do on my own, without including any third party. "Just wait here. I'll return with Nepgear shortly." "No, you wait!"

Unexpectedly, I was stopped by Neptune, who transformed into her goddess form and placed her hand on my shoulder. "There's no way I will stay idle. She's my sister and I cannot leave her like that. I'm coming with you." "Don't. You will only get into my way." My performance was at its best while I worked alone, so even though she was a CPU, Purple Heart's presence wouldn't change much. "You can't do this alone. Besides, I don't need your permission." That bitch… Why she couldn't simply listen to me? I didn't have time to explain the gravity of the situation to this impulsive fool. She was basically saying that no matter what I would do, she was going to follow me anyway. Such stubbornness was truly irritating…

"Tch. Fine." Since she could find the chosen by the kidnapper setting on her own, there was no stopping this goddess, so I should better include her in my plans than leave her later appearance as a random factor. "Can I join too? Can I? Neppy Jr is also my friend." And now it was Plutia's turn to prolong the departure. I wasn't able to fully calculate her exact battle potential as I hadn't seen her transform yet, however, as she was a goddess, I could be at least confident she wouldn't die off too early. "Ugh. Neptune, she's your responsibility." I sighed. "You agreed rather fast when it was her." "Fuck off." I shot her a cold glance. Discussing such petty details was pointless, so I put on my hood and left the building. "Let's meet up on the spot." I told my unwanted party members. CPUs could fly but I didn't, so our paths were going to separate anyway. With that done, I didn't bother to wait for a response and dashed off, donning my old beak mask. Though I thought I would no longer participate in such operations, I had to admit it – a one called 'Little Sister in Distress' had just begun.

The farm which had been chosen by the abductor was surrounded from all sides by a forest of ten meters high trees. How conveniently… I sat down on the top branch and gazed down. I didn't dare to come any closer than that before I actually did some reconnaissance, so I wouldn't dive headfirst into this obvious trap. However, from this position my scouting abilities were very limited as all I could do was to watch the area.

I kind of expected to see a whole garrison scattered across those cornfields but the farm turned out to be surprisingly quiet and only the slight sound of caressing the crops wind could be heard. According to my intel, this place should have been empty since the previous owner mysteriously disappeared half a year ago, therefore, the fact it was still so well-kept didn't make much sense. Or was it just a cover for some underground base? Low probability as I couldn't notice any signs which could indicate so. Because of that, I didn't know what to think about it. Wasn't it even more suspicious than the fact I couldn't spot any living beings? Besides me, it seemed that no one else was present, of course, excluding those two who were slowly closing up on my location.

"V? Is that you?" Purple Heart lowered herself. In her hands she was holding Plutia, who greeted me with a warm grin on her face. "Yes. I'm glad you spotted me. There's something we must talk about." Sliding off my mask, I pointed on the farm. "Something's terribly fishy about this place." "What do you mean?" "It's dry." "Dry?" Dammit, stop questioning my every word! "I can't sense any magic energy. It's like as if it was a desert."

More to that, it seemed the environment was being gradually drained. Something was sucking all lifeforce in the area and I could sense that. I didn't know whether Neptune and Plutia were able as well, however, I wasn't going to ask them. In spite of all, my wellbeing was far more important, so as long as I didn't let them die, there was nothing against using the goddesses as my pawns. "Understood. We should remain cautious then." Purple Heart nodded. "Me too. I'll do my best too!" Though would this enthusiasm matter, Plutia? I didn't comment it anyhow.

"Let's roll, guys. I'm worried about my sister." "What about a plan?" "A plan?" Neptune looked at me like if she heard this word for the first time in her life. "Aren't we going in, defeating bad guys and return home with Nep Jr.?" Ideally, yes, although that would be too simple… "Don't rush or you may be caught off guard. Or actually… I changed my mind. Do exactly that but transfer back to your human form first." "Why? I'm stronger this way." Certainly true, though I wished to exploit it in a different style.

"Trust me. We need to deceive our enemies as much as it's possible and reveal our deck only for the sake of final showdown." "I see. I'll listen to you. Will you come together with us?" "No, I'm going to clear the perimeter and then join back." Skill-wise that was most likely the best solution. If our opponent was in possession of enough firepower to surround us there, I would have been in the worst situation as I was just a human. For that reason, since I was definitely the fastest and the best at sneaking out of our three, I had to focus on suitable tasks and openly show up only when it was safe to. "Anyway, good luck. We'll see each other soon…" Giving them a quick salute, I hid my face under the mask again and began to move away through the branches.

Nothing… This place truly seemed empty. As I circled around the area, I didn't notice anything out of ordinary to the point where it became disturbing. The normalness of this farm was in my opinion unrealistic; however, I already knew it was too late to withdraw. Especially not after I sent the goddesses into this trap. Speaking of them, they must have been getting close to the center, so I should follow. Soundlessly dropping to the ground, I rolled into the rows of wheat.

Eventually, I reached a large wooden platform with an erect pillar. How couldn't I see it before? I wondered, though there was no time to think about it as I noticed someone had been bound there and of course, it was Nepgear. She was blindfolded and slightly dirty but she was still alive. Although only barely, as even from this distance her shallow breathing and unhealthily pale skin were easy to spot. Same went for her hair, which also turned lighter than it used to be, entering a shade close to grey. Fuck. Even I couldn't grasp what caused her to be in such state, but I was sure she didn't have much more time. Unless I took action now, she was going to die here.

I couldn't be too reckless though. At the same moment as I decided to go for it, a villain had showed up. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Before I could be seen, I switched my hiding spot. In the rush of emotions, I might have made a bit of noise, or was it unrelated? I didn't know yet but unquestionably, the criminal had just emerged from the other side of the platform.

It was a woman wearing something which reminded a low-quality witch cosplay, however, I had an impression it could be 'b' instead of 'w' as well. Her skin was extremely light and even with that, overuse of make-up was apparent, making her seem as white as last year's snow. What an eyesore… A cold shiver went through my spine as I watched this reject of fashion although I had to admit something. Her decorated with a purple rose hat was kind of neat, that was if someone else was to wear it obviously. Anyway, I was quite relived that she wasn't Sylvette, though I didn't lower my guard just yet.

"So, you have finally arrived!" She spat out slightly to my left, from where Neptune and Plutia had just casually appeared. Fortunately, it didn't seem like any of them had actually noticed me. "I've been waiting for this moment for years, you damned CPU!" That weirdo shouted at the top of her lungs. Yeah, she was visibly nuts and I didn't have to be a psychiatrist to make such a judgment.

"Ooh, Neppy, do you know this creepy old lady?" Without even being aware of it Plutia delivered a well-aimed verbal attack. "Hmm… She looks kinda familiar… But I don't think she's anyone important." A follow-up from Neptune was also super effective as corners of witch's mouth twitched in anger. To be honest, I was having a hard time preventing myself from laughing because of this exchange.

"How dare you to insult me like that, brats?! I'll engrave the name of Afroire as your final memory!" Saying that, woman's eyes glimmered with fury. Somebody had a very short fuse… "Now I remember! Ugh, not her again… Can you just give my sister back and we all go home? It's a pain to deal with someone as tiring as you, Arbore." Straight savage. Neptune, I didn't take you as someone particularly sharp-tongued. Though from my own case I knew well that people could have many different sides and show only some to others. It seemed the goddesses were the same.

"Neppy, that was mean. Maybe she just wants to make friends." "SILENCE FOOLS!" Arbo…, I meant Afroire snapped. "You won't ridicule me any longer! No! I swear it on my name! You won't walk away from here alive!" "I guess it can't be helped… Just sit tight Plutie, I'll settle it in a second. It's transformation time!"

However, nothing happened and Neptune stood there dumbfounded. "Nepu?! Where are my bigger boobs?" "Neppy, I can't transform too! What's going on? What's going on?" Seeing how fast lines of CPUs crumbled, Afroire burst into a maniacal laughter and raised her hand up. "WHAT A SPLENDID SUCCESS! And to think I might have caught two goddesses! AHAHAHA! I couldn't care less about your story, the second one. You're going to die here today! Now, behold the true power!" And then, Afroire revealed the so far hidden in her clenched fist object.

I immediately recognized this shape and even if I didn't, strange pressure on my body would have quickly reminded that it was definitely an Anticrystal, though it was way smaller than the one I stole from Trinity. Fuck, so more of those existed? It was certainly troublesome news.

Suddenly, an invisible hand smashed Neptune to the ground and to Afroire's content, literally a second later, the same effect applied to Plutia. "MAGNIFICENT! With just this one stone I can finally destroy the whole Gamindustri! There's no one who can stop me now! UAHAHAHA!" "Neppy… It hurts…" Plutia's weak crying voice excited the villain even more. "Yes! Feel free to scream in AGONY! It's a melody to my ears! For the three of you this is the END! As long as I hold this Anticrystal there's no way I can lose!" In this moment of cockiness, she didn't realize any of what had just happened.

"Well, you're still holding in, kind of. But are you sure about the losing part?" "What?! Who are you? How did you get here?" "You mean the Anticrystal or your hand?" I showed her the effects of my surprise attack. Instead of simply stealing it, I firmly cut off Afroire's wrist.

"Huagh! HOW?!" Noticing the blood pouring out of her wound, Afroire jerked back in fear a few steps and strengthened her grip on her staff. "Another pest appeared. But that was just luck. Even without one arm I'll effortlessly defeat you! DIE!" Recovering from the initial shock, she created two tornados and launched them in my direction. On the impact, they severed my limbs and sent the Anticrystal flying.

Or at least that was what she thought when placed by me decoy returned into shadow it had been made of. "Yawn, so boring… Are you retarded to expect such a childish trick could actually harm me?" I spoke from behind of her back. Normally I wouldn't play with my food like that, however, I had to learn as much as it was only possible from her. "TAKE THIS!" Afroire jumped away and casted another tornado, though this time I didn't bother and using Erebus, I cut through it with a single slash. "Don't struggle. If you act like a good girl, I promise your death will be gentle once you answer my questions." "You won't defeat me!" "I see… It seems we're going to need to get rough, but first, let me give you a short lesson on how to be a proper villain."

I slashed from the side. It was a slow mocking hit, so even Afroire didn't have any issues with blocking it. "First of all, don't play fair." I shot a torrent of sand at her eyes and after delivering a solid punch to her stomach, I pulverized her to the nearby stone fence with a kick.

"You are pathetically weak, to a point where it's no fun to toy with you. How did you even think you could be victorious in the first place?" When I reached the spot she landed, Afroire was already at the verge of losing consciousness. And I was only getting started… What a shame, but I could still heal her a bit. Therefore, using Burning Fist I knelt down and scorched her wound.

A scream of pain resonated throughout the entire farm. "You are awake now. And you won't bleed out before I am done with you. A win-win situation, I guess." I said and stomped on her left knee. "AAAAAAARRGGHHHHH!" A filled with despair cry of Afroire's muffled a sweet thump of her broken bones. "The weakest of weak… Only those with power can dream of being successful. The rest should know their place, so if you think you're evil, there's a lesson two. Be merciless to those who oppose you." To emphasize that, I grabbed her remaining hand and began to slowly peel off her nails.

It was an unpleasant task, although, super effective in terms of interrogation tactics and for that reason, when I reached the third finger, I started to ask with something simple. "How did you obtain the Anticrystal?" No response. Perhaps I was too gentle… Because of that, while removing the next nail, I 'accidently' broke Afroire's middle finger in the process.

"What about now?" I reminded her to speak up once she finally shut up. "I found it! I swear!" Afroire answered and tears began to come out of her eyes, blurring down this shitty make-up. See? It wasn't that hard, though you could definitely elaborate. "Where?" "…" Again, silent treatment… Luckily, I also had an appropriate solution for this problem.

"It seems I will have to get my hands dirty…" I sighed and doublechecking my gloves, I decided it was time to conduct the procedure. "W-what are you doing?" My target twitched in dread. "Something, which is going to loosen your tongue, my dear. Because somehow you forgot your role…" What did it mean about me that I enjoyed torturing? I was kind of curious. Though such streak would only come out in situations like this, I might have indeed been a little sadistic. Anyway, I should focus on what I was about to, not on self-reflecting.

"If you're not willing to tell me that with words, then do that with your sight." I announced, forcefully splitting apart Afroire's eyelids. At this point she should have been already well aware of what I intended to do to her, but she didn't seem to be trying to desperately shake off. Did she give up? Good for me, as thanks to that, I had no need to come up with a proper countermeasure. "Don't blame me if this gets too bloody…" Though Afroire couldn't possibly see it, a big grin appeared on my hidden under the mask face when I proceeded with gouging out her eye.

"UAAAAAAAGH! Underground! In Noma Cave!" So only the right one was enough? That was certainly fast… With a slight regret I dropped Afroire's eyeball next to its former owner. So, in the end, Anticrystals weren't man-made? I pondered. As a matter of fact, I didn't doubt this testimony, however, I wished to know whether it was that simple as she thought. Were those hellish gems a natural product or had somebody conveniently lured Afroire there and manipulated this crazy hag by giving her what she dreamed of?

"You are boring as fuck…" I stood up and turned around. I had already received all I could from this sorry excuse of a villain, so there was nothing to gain from remaining on spot. "Even though, I always keep my word. Besides, I can't leave a surviving witness. If some miracle were to occur, the fact you know of my presence could one day become a real hindrance to me. Yes. That's why I must dispose of my trash as I go." Aiming at Afroire's stomach, I opened my grasp. "Return to darkness. Erebus…"

When I finished, I noticed that I could no longer feel Anticrystal's aura. I didn't know what caused it, though I was definitely grateful as this pressure strongly annoyed me. There was still very little I could tell about this mysterious gem; however, I was sure that it meant nothing good. After I saw what happened to CPUs who came in contact with it, a theory appeared in my mind – what if Anticrystals were a natural balance to shares energy?

Although there were a couple of contradictions in this theaory, like for instance, why was I influenced by its power as well? No matter how deeply I thought about it, not a single explanation would arrive, so I decided to stop wasting my time on it now because I still had to finish my initial goal – save CPU Candidate.

Plutia and Neptune should be fine. Even now, I could see them slowly struggling to crawl, attempting to recover, though they seemed obviously sapped out of any strength. Quite a relieve… But also, at the same time it worried more as Nepgear had been exposed to Anticrystal for way longer than those two. I had to hurry…

I firmly cut through her restraints and caught her. Nepgear's body was cold, however, she was still fighting. Despite all, she turned out to be a real warrior… I could imagine that until the very last moment before her consciousness faded, she hoped help would come. And it did, though most likely not from the person she would wish for. "Still, I'll save you. I promise." I whispered into her ear and locating a standing on a small hill hut, I ran towards it with Nepgear in my arms.

What was with that feeling? For the first time in my life I felt that I was responsible for another being and if something bad were to happen… No! I didn't even want to consider such a scenario. I wouldn't let Nepgear die, no matter what! I might have didn't understand what was driving me at the time, although that wasn't a reason to stop.

Power of the boot did a better job on the cottage's door than any lockpick would. With that, I entered inside and quickly glanced around. Since Nepgear wouldn't survive a journey back to Planeptune, whatever I was about to do, I had to do it here. Fuck! Predictably, there was nothing helpful here, so I had to improvise.

In a desperate hurry I rolled every blanket, towel and other material sheet I discovered in the middle of the living room and then, I placed Nepgear on it. She was fading in a terrifying pace… Damn it! I slammed the stone floor with my fist. Candidate's pulse was hardly distinguishable and her skin more and more reminded the one of a dead person's. That fucking gem! Everything was its fault. At this point I couldn't care less if Sylvette was truly the mastermind behind this kidnapping or not. What was important, was this fragile being in front of my eyes.

I didn't have the privilege to carefully analyze the situation, I had to act! Though how? My thoughts were clouded and my hands were genuinely trembling. I couldn't calm myself down anyhow. It wasn't like Nepgear was someone important to me, but I utterly lost my composure here, while it was needed the most. My heart began to beat at the speed I feared it would explode any second… Why someone as innocent had to suffer so much? Just because she was a CPU Candidate? Afroire's hostility against goddesses made completely zero sense, nonetheless, effects of it were visible. If someone deserved to lie down so drained it had to be that mad bitch, not Nepgear!

…Drained? A sudden epiphany resonated in my head, making me freeze in place. That would explain it all! The state all three goddesses were in and the fact I also kind of fell victim to this Anticrystal. I should have figured it sooner!

Anticrystals had to be draining magical energy from the environment and since CPUs life force were shares – the biggest magical 'pluses' existing in Gamindustri, they were extremely susceptible to this drainage. Because of that, I, whose potential surpassed human limits could also sense that pressure. What about Sylvette, though? Did she deceive me or was there one more reason I wasn't able to see yet? That could wait for later.

"If you want to suck that badly, then take all you want!" I clasped my hands, concentrating on materializing magical energy stored in me. The room instantly filled with a dark bluish light, which like a flame spread in all directions. Having grasped the true nature of Anticrystals I had to prepare myself to destroy them if they were going to appear in bigger quantities from now on and of course, I had to save Nepgear. To achieve both, I had to do something I hadn't practiced in a long while – an experimental spell.

"I swear, even if it will cost my life, I'll destroy all Anticrystals, so don't you dare to die on me! LIVE!" My resolve was clear and strong enough to push me forward, even though I knew I had to pay for what I asked. Reminding myself of it once again, I let the accumulated energy engulf the area.

"Mr. V?" When Nepgear opened her eyes, she tried to look for him. In spite of not being awake until this moment, she felt that he was the one who had somehow saved her. "Are you still here?" Nepgear tried to get up, only to realize she was already in a vertical position, more to that, she was floating mid-air.

"Nepgear!" Suddenly Purple Heart stormed inside and hugged her younger sibling. "I'm so grateful you are okay! And you have even transformed for the first time." "Did I?" Embarrassed, Nepgear inspected her body. So far, she noticed something was different but she didn't think that was the case, since the change wasn't as big as she had expected. Knowing how much Purple Heart's 'reliable leader' personality diverged from Neptune's regular carefree self, Nepgear found herself surprised by the fact she was still pretty much like before.

"I was so worried about you." The goddess began to cry. "Big sister…" "It's all my fault. I should have never let my guard down like that. Please forgive me." "It's fine, Neptune. In the end you came to rescue me, so did Mr. V. Thank you for that." "V… Speaking of him, where is he now?" She asked with a mixed expression on her face, although Nepgear couldn't grasp why. "I think… I think he's gone…" "My goodness…" Neptune held her breath. "No, not like that! I mean, I think he left us…" A tear fell down Nepgear's chin. She didn't understand why she said that, however, once again she couldn't shake off that strange certainty.

"Why would he…?" "I don't know. I think something happened to him... When he forcefully made me awaken to the power of goddess." "What?! Something like that is impossible." Purple Heart's eyes widened. "I remember Histoire said that too. But I know he had done it. He saved my life." "Nep Jr…" While Neptune tightened her grip around her younger sibling, a sound of high heels came out from behind their backs, marking arrival of the third person who leaned her back on the threshold. "It seems I'll be interrupting such a heartwarming sister reunion… Don't worry, I heard loud and clear where he might head next, Neppy." She licked her lips as a malicious smirk formed on her face.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15. The Darkness awakens**

Ever since Neptune, Plutia and V departed from the Basilicom, Histoire had been working on the Tome, trying to figure out what was going on with it. However, her research was still stuck. "Come on, there has to be something! (stressed face)" She muttered to herself while browsing records. She was well aware of slowly running out time and the fact she didn't know what was going on with Nepgear and the others wasn't helping her at all.

"At least you do not have to worry about this ordeal… (exhausted face)" Histoire glanced over in the direction of sleeping IF. She kind of envied her that, though on the other hand, wasn't it exactly what she had been made for? The one who created Histoire gave her existence two main purposes – to record Gamindustri's history and aid the goddesses in case of emergencies such as this one, so for her, it was only natural to work even harder than usual.

"What? (scared face)" The Oracle fell back, nearly hitting with her small head abandoned on the table glass, when suddenly Tome's pages began to rapidly go forward on their own, eventually reaching the burned part. Then, something Histoire didn't expect occurred – those papers began to fill with pulsing crimson symbols. She began to encode it.

" _V stood motionlessly in the middle of empty chamber of Noma Cave. After hiding all evidence he discovered, he stopped his investigation and waited for a pursuing him group which was on its way to his location._ "

Histoire gulped. It was the first time she had witnessed the Tome following a specific individual rather than the entire society and in addition to that, from all of people it had to be V. Was he in some sort of trouble? What about the CPUs? Were they okay? This tiny ominous passage offered more questions than actual information on the situation over there, so Histoire heavily swallowing again, kept on following the slowly unveiling story.

" _Parts of his clothes were bloodied; however, his body was not harmed anyhow. This blood belonged to someone else, who had crossed his way. "You are finally here…" His voice, modified by his mask, echoed throughout the cave. He did not need to turn around to know they had arrived from the only corridor leading out of this chamber. As two figures slowly descended…_ "

At that moment, a great explosion shook the ground of Basilicom, diverting Histoire's attention from the Tome. However, even with that, it didn't mean the events in Noma Cave ended. No, they couldn't have as they were simultaneously happening. It wasn't past, it wasn't future. It was present, which was about to form the whole Gamindustri anew.

As two figures slowly descended on the stone staircase, V let out a small chuckle. Even though he tried to separate himself from his former companions, he predicted that they would follow him here. In the end, Afroire screamed so loudly that the goddesses couldn't have possibly not hear her.

"V? Is that you?" Neptune asked unexpectedly shyly as for her. After she had seen what this man was capable of, even she couldn't feel safe around him. "…Mr. V?" In the same time, Nepgear also muttered, however, V remained silent for a while, reminding goddesses that none of them really understood him. Though they quickly came to rely on him, they practically didn't know anything about this person. Only the fact he showed up with belonging to the missing Michael Runcorn badge. "Hey, are you alright? You seem kinda strange. Did you eat something expired on the way or what? By the way, Nep Jr said…" Neptune's words were full of honest concern. Although she couldn't name exactly what it was, she could sense there was something off with how V acted. Suddenly, he interrupted her.

"You shouldn't have come to this place…" Was it a threat? Neptune bit her lip. This voice modulator was creepy enough alone and V's tone was leaving quite a lot of room for interpretation as well. He had never spoke as coldly before, not even while he was torturing Afroire, so this lack of emotions in his manner of speech made Neptune waver. "Heh, don't joke around. We came to help. When our buddy is in need, isn't it obvious to rush with a helping hand or two? What kind of friends would we be if we left you alone like that?" "Friends…" V repeated it and then, let out the most terrifying laugh Neptune could imagine.

When he was done, the goddess of Planeptune nearly ran away. Though her senses of danger were alarmingly trying to convey a message to escape, she firmly stood her ground. "Did you seriously believe it? You're so naïve it's funny. I was only using you as a tool to complete my own objective, nothing more. Someone like me isn't capable of such emotions in the first place." "Mr. V? That can't be true, can it?" Though Nepgear was told of what took place before her rescue, she refused to acknowledge it. For her, V was a hero, not a brutal villain who appeared out of her older sibling's testimony. "But it is. And mostly because of you, CPU Candidate. You were the one who contributed to setting me free the most and I'm thankful for that. If it wasn't for that, I would have left you to die back then."

V's response didn't make much of sense, but at that moment Nepgear didn't pay any more attention as tears began to flow down her face. "P-please stop joking around, Mr. V. That's not you!" "Yeah. Or rather, it wasn't. In the end, my original personality had been 'warped'…" "I have no clue what the heck are you talking about, however, you just made my adorable little sister cry. Are you sure your name is V? Or is it actually SATAN?!" "This joke was so forced, I don't even want to comment it…" A heavy sigh came out from under V's mask.

"Anyway, you went overboard, both here and back at the farm. But let's finish whatever you were up to and go home. We can talk there all we want as to be honest, it's rather chilly down here…" Neptune shivered. Her outfit wasn't exactly warm, so she was reluctant to stay underground more than it was necessary. "Then go. I'm not stopping you. More to that, I highly advise to do so." V sarcastically replied and because of that, Neptune snapped. "Enough of it, dude. I'm sure you had your good reasons to behave this way, but frankly, you're creeping everyone out right now. You should apologize and…" Before she could finish her thought, the goddess froze shocked and touched her left cheek.

"NEPU?!" She shrieked as she realized that a thrown by V knife cut off a fragment of her hair and grazed her skin. Though the wound wasn't deep, warm blood instantly began to pour out. Seeing it, Nepgear screamed as well. "That was the final warning. Unless you wish to lose your lives, don't get in my way. Ever." Using this moment of confusion, V burst through the stone ceiling and simultaneously elevating the floor, fled off the scene.

Once he reached the room upstairs, he jumped off the created by him pillar and headed towards the exit, however, as he quickly noticed, it had been blocked off as well. "V…" It was Plutia. Though she didn't take any hostile actions yet, V kept his distance from her once he spotted corners of her lips twitching. Unlike her usual lazy demeanor, Plutia seemed somehow ecstatic and half-closing her eyes, she pierced the masked figure with a sharp, murderous glance. In the meantime, she gradually kept on tightening her grasp around the neck of her favorite Nepgear plushie.

"You said we were friends, right? RIGHT?" Plutia's nails burrowed even deeper into material of her toy. "So, why did you do that to Neppy? Why, I wonder? Friends don't hurt each other. Am I correct?" A vicious grin appeared on her face. Because of the acoustics of the cave system, she heard everything what occurred below and V already understood that. "I'm getting kinda angry…" Then the head of the plushie gave out and dropped on the ground. "I think I'm gonna transform." And so, she did as she announced.

In her human form she was always slow and sleepy, but as CPU – Iris Heart, Plutia's body matured and her character drastically changed. "Oh, V, aren't you just a one captivating fellow? Though it seems someone has to tame you a little, don't you agree?" She was currently wearing a black one-piece bodysuit with magenta accents and exposed bellybutton and fragment of her thighs. Also, she had a pair of matching oval earrings. V's first impression was that of a dominatrix, however, since she was giving out rather dangerous vibes, he didn't dare to mock her yet. He decided to wait at least until he would determine the overall threat of this new enemy. "Now then, let's have some fun. Just you and me…" Pointing at V, Iris Heart swung her sword and smirked.

The blade extended with an incredible speed, aiming at V's legs. Even though, he effortlessly dodged it and confidently dashed forward. "Ha, did you seriously think I would have to wait for its return?" Iris Heart giggled, rematerializing her weapon. At this position impact was unavoidable or rather, it would have been if V planned to clash in the first place. Instead, supporting himself on Plutia's shoulders, he vaulted over her head and before she could react, rushed for the exit. However, his run had been unexpectedly stopped.

"Not that fast!" Purple Heart body slammed V at full speed, making him lose his balance. To prevent himself from falling down, V had to change his course, in the process getting trapped between the two CPUs. "You're not going anywhere until we're done talking. No matter what is it, you can tell us what troubles you. I'm sure we'll be able to find a solution. Together." Neptune insisted but Iris Heart was of a different opinion. "Don't waste your breath, Neppy. Likes of his only listen to one argument – brute force. Just watch." Saying that, she attacked once again although, this time V didn't seem to notice it as he continued to stare down, slightly shaking.

"Oh, you already gave up? What a turn off…" Seeing that, the goddess recalled her weapon, but even with that, V's mask had been hit. Its beak cracked in half and began to slowly drop down and eventually, both of the fragments landed on the ground, revealing hidden underneath it face.

First thing which struck the goddesses were his eyes. The iris of his left one was brown, while the right one, similarly to the color of his hair, was white. "It wasn't him? It seems we were fooled…" Plutia sneered in disappointment. "Then who is this person? Where's the real V?" Purple Heart glanced around thinking that they were being watched, however, she quickly concluded it was just her imagination acting up.

"Who knows? Let's ask. Hey, can you stop mumbling under your nose or do I have to break your legs first?" The man didn't react anyhow to Iris Heart's threat and began to act even more erratically. He kept endlessly whispering something, though the goddesses couldn't make up any of it. "Geez, what a troublesome guy… I'm going to have him spill everything out." Enraged by being ignored, Plutia began to engage, but then, her hand had been grasped by Purple Heart.

"Don't come any closer to him now. It's dangerous!" "Dangerous? Don't kid around, Neppy…" Iris Heart was about to shake her friend off, when suddenly man's voice grew louder and deeper. **"…-i… …-ill… kill…** " His cape lost its material form and turned into a mass of pulsing dark energy, which gradually swallowed its owner's body. " **Unforgivable… Kill… I'm going to kill… All of them… I don't care anymore… Not even for your sake…** " The person who claimed to be V seemed to be completely separated from the reality. " **You want to talk to them? Not my problem… Why? Fuck you…! Fine… But only for a short while…** " The goddess didn't know what to do, while the white-haired man raised his left hand and gripping his index finger, he forcefully broke it forward with an ear-piercing crack.

Once he did that, his face reemerged from the shroud of darkness. His expression softened and his eyes switched colors – the brown one was now at the right. " _Hello, guys. It's been a while. Also, pleasure to make acquaintance with you, Plutia. Though, I'd rather meet on different circumstances…_ " He laughed carefreely, trying to hide lurking in his gaze sadness. "…!" Both Purple Heart and standing in the distance Nepgear froze upon hearing this voice. Despite the fact it was nearly identical to V's, they immediately recognized it. "I'm slowly running out of patience. Just who the hell are you?" Oblivious to the surrounding, Iris Heart coldly demanded. " _Ah, sorry. My bad. I should've introduced myself to you first. I'm Michael Runcorn. I used to work with Neptune back in a day…_ "

"Secretary…?" Purple Heart stepped forward. Somehow, she knew it was really him, not just a trick set out to deceive them, however, Plutia didn't share this conviction and shielded Neptune with her body. "Are you an idiot? I don't know the truth, but that's a trap if I have ever seen one. Don't fall for it, Neppy!" " _Well, she has a point. In the end, I disappeared three years ago. And now, here I am… You guys, must be confused even more than I am._ " A faint smile formed on Michael's face.

"What happened to you?! Is there anything we can do?" " _I can't tell you. Partially, because I don't know anything on my own. The other reason is that V's slowly losing it. Just forget about me and find a way to survive! I'm so happy I could talk to you for the last time, Neptune. Please don't let him kill you. Though it's still theoretically my body, I cannot control him at all!_ " "Secretary!" In the desperate act, she attempted to reach to him although she had been held back by Plutia and all she could do was to watch how Runcorn returned to darkness. " _Good bye._ " Just before his finger had been put back in its joint, a single tear dropped off his brown eye.

" **Finally…** **Haha…** **I've been waiting for this moment…** " Manipulating shadows, V created two swords and grasped them by their blades. " **I searched for that loser for so long, while he had always been that close… I hate him… Although there's nothing I can do to him… Isn't it such an irony?** " His tone was filled with malice, though it hadn't been directed either at Runcorn or surrounding them CPUs.

" **Yes, I'm regaining this weak body. Good you gave up. I expected you would struggle to protect your friends, but you have chosen the winning side. Support me and I shall show you what can be achieved with power.** " V cut the air in front of him, leaving a progressively decaying over time trail. " **This is what dwells in heart of every living being – darkness and I am its incarnation. Goddesses, who represent the light, even you cannot destroy me, though I dare you to give your utmost. Entertain me with all you have until this world succumbs to shadow, once again becoming my dominion.** " Ending his speech, V charged in.

"Finally. I've been itching for a fight too." In spite of hardly being able to parry V's attack, Iris Heart grinned. Though his blows were extremely powerful and with each strike she was being pushed back, she seemed to enjoy this confrontation. "Is that all you have? Hmpf… As for someone talking so much, you aren't such a big fish." She taunted him, barely dodging a barrage of dark knifes from the side. " **I could ask the same.** " V replied, concurrently blocking Purple Heart's slash with his foot. "No matter what, we will stop you here." " **Are you sure you can best me, though? You are afraid of me, or rather I should say, because of the old sentiment you fear having to slay this body.** " Upon hearing this remark, Purple Heart faltered, allowing V to counterattack.

" **So easy to read… It seems even CPUs aren't free from their own darkness.** " V twisted her weapon out of her grasp and separating from Plutia, he cut at Purple Heart's throat. Only in the last second she managed to jerk back, but even with that, her skin had been slightly damaged. "Neppy!" "I'm alright! I think…" She answered without looking back and dashed to pick up her sword. However, as she placed her hand on its hilt, a knife pierced her wrist.

Purple Heart attempted to swallow the pain, although she failed and let out an anguished scream as she pulled out the cold blade. Immediately after it, the projectile evaporated. " **Suffering is only a natural part of living. Those who are alive, suffer. This may be even called the main purpose of existence.** " V commented and then, dropped down at Plutia from a small stone shelf.

Midair his body split into six copies, each armed with a different weapon, which upon landing circled around Iris Heart. Entering a defensive stance, she tried to follow their movements but it quickly became impossible. " **Yes, indeed. Perception is what brings countless misfortunes. Eyes can be averted from the issue, though in the end, it will backfire with a doubled force. Allow me to demonstrate…** " Spear wielding V broke out of the formation and attacked Plutia head on. Instead of blocking, she came with unexpected offensive, slashing the shadow in half. Though she knew that it wasn't the real one, she decided to bait V by purposefully creating an opening on her back. However, she miscalculated something.

The clone didn't vanish on impact, but rather, changing into a dark mist, it flew over to her side, where it reconstructed itself. " **The problem might be also misinterpreted and it may lead to even worse consequences.** " V's copy caressed the soft skin of her neck and in the meantime, it raised its sickle, stabbing it into Iris Heart stomach.

"I won't let you!" Neptune shouted, cutting through the shadow right before it was about to tear out a fragment of Plutia's flesh. "Geez. What a sucker…" Iris Heart touched her wound. It was considerably deep although she was certain no internal organs had been damaged. "Can you keep fighting?" Purple Heart covered her ally. "For whom do you take me, Neppy? I'm only getting started." " **Too late… Because I am going to end it soon.** " V butted into their exchange. His clones were already gone and he stood alone several steps away from goddesses.

" **Playtime is over. I was only testing my limits after laying dormant for ages.** " As he kept on talking, the area began to slowly darken. Lights of torches and LED lamps from the hidden passage to the lower level were extinguishing, creating an atmosphere of eerie ambivalence. CPUs joined their backs. Even though, at this point they could hardly see each other as the surrounding them darkness seemed absolute. It wasn't just a state of no light, but rather, to them it appeared as if they had been swallowed by something alive.

" **No human is what they seem to be. No matter how many masks one wear, the real face will always eventually resurface, therefore, resupplying those disguises is utterly pointless. Instead, embrace own shadow, not fight with it. Only then the true perfection is within the reach.** " V's voice was in a constant move and its origin couldn't be anyhow located. Suddenly, something sharp penetrated Iris Heart's foot. "Neppy, up!" Ignoring the pain, she screamed as loudly as she could and both of them raised into air. But even that wouldn't protect them and goddesses were well aware of it, because as long as V was there, he wouldn't give up.

However, at that moment everything unpredictably returned to normal. " **Own selfishness shall only lead to catastrophe. And by this tragedy only those around will be harmed.** " V declared, positioning himself in front of CPUs. He was holding Nepgear hostage, with both of his blades crossed at her neck. "Let her go!" Purple Heart cried out, regretting that she had temporarily forgotten about her younger sister. " **Yes, but as corpse. I have no use of this miserable child anymore…** " Saying that he began to decapitate CPU Candidate, although his arms unexpectedly stopped.

"… **What?** " V seemed as shocked as Neptune and Plutia when suddenly, a light blueish ray went through his body, coming out from Nepgear on the other side. Using this distraction, Purple Heart rushed towards them and pulled her sibling out of V's clutches before she could have been caught up in what was occurring with her captor.

The light from V's body was rapidly increasing on strength and soon after, ice began to materialize around those spots. " **The fuck?!** " He spat out in rage, desperately trying to break free but no matter with what he hit it, not even a single scratch would appear on the surface of the ice. " **I won't lose… I won't…** " The more his movements were restricted, the less composed V seemed to be. " **YOU WON'T BEAT ME! EVEN IF YOU ESCAPE NOW, ONE DAY, I'LL FIND YOU!** " Maniacally laughing, he started to launch randomly aimed attacks, from which goddesses took cover inside of the neighboring corridor. " **I'M ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE. WHEREVER YOU GO, I'LL BE THERE AS WELL. THIS WORLD BELONGS TO ME! I AM…** " Before he could finish his sentence, V's voice went silent.

"I-is it over?" Nepgear shyly asked. Though she hadn't been hurt, she was shaking and uncontrollably crying for the whole time. "I… I don't know. But I hope so." Purple Heart reassured her sister and then, cautiously peered out to see how the situation concluded.

"Hello there, Lady Purple Heart." An unforeseen guest cheerfully waved her hand to Neptune. It was a dark-haired woman in a flashy yellow jacket with a black dragon design and matching baggy trousers. On her face there was a tattoo of unknown to the goddess symbol. "It should already be safe, so you guys can come out." She said, putting her foot on the motionless ice statue of V.

"And who are you?" Unlike her companions, Plutia didn't come to trust this woman that fast. "No one really important, to be honest. But if you insist, Lady Iris Heart, name's Sylvette. And here, you should drink those. Just health potions, though if you want, I can fetch something stronger too…" Sylvette winked to them, mischievously grinning as slightly hesitating, the trio took offered by her bottles and drank their content.

"This… This is amazing! Thanks!" Purple Heart was the first one to express her astonishment when she realized that her wounds were already gone at the moment her lips separated from the glass. "Hehe, honored to hear that. Anyway, I'd love to chat a bit, but there are many urgencies pushing me to hurry. I hope you'll understand…" Sylvette put her hands into pockets and with warm expression on her face, studied remains of V. "There's quite a lot for you to explain, starting with how you know my name. You will have to postpone those 'urgencies'." "Plutia, stop it. She has just saved us." "Ah, you didn't have to worry about that. I was going to do that nonetheless. Your bunch probably has lots of questions and I intend to answer to as much of them I'm able to. So, from what do you want to begin?"

"Why did Mr. V attack us?" Unexpectedly, Nepgear seized the initiative. "I can only guess. Though, one is certain – he had been emotionally unstable for a good while. I had someone to regulate him recently, but well… Stuff happened and he escaped. If I knew he was going to go this far, I would've taken care of it myself…" Sylvette angrily spat out on the ground. "Back to main point, only this guy knows although my prediction is that conflict of his two characters created a disorder in thinking process, so putting in simple words – he went berserk on you. I'm sure you noticed some irrational patterns of his behavior, like for instance – mood swings. One time acting like a good for nothing stereotypical protagonist, only to switch into a full lord of darkness mode later."

"So, what does it mean?" Despite a detailed clarification, Purple Heart spoke up. Somehow, she felt there was a contradiction in Sylvette's statement, however, out of gratitude she didn't wish to doubt her. "He went nuts? Can't make it easier…" "No, that's not what I tried to ask. You mentioned he had two personalities. Do you know why was he this way?" "Honestly, I don't. He had always been this way ever since I met him."

Neptune no longer understood what occurred on this day in the depths of Noma Cave. Even though for a short while she thought she finally learned about her Secretary's fate, it seemed that she had been fooled. Or was it something else…? "We see. But you still haven't answered my question…" Then Plutia butted in, averting Neptune's attention from it. "Tee hee, I wished you forgot about that." Sylvette playfully stuck out her tongue and hopped over V. "Apologies, but it's something I cannot reveal. A good illusionist never exposes her tricks, nevertheless, I shall give you a tip in exchange. You should return to Planeptune. As fast as it's possible, preferably."

"Is that a threat? Because if it is, I'll remind you your position with pleasure…" Iris Heart stepped forward. "No. It was a warning. As I proved, I'm not your enemy, am I? I'll even give a gift." When Sylvette kicked the chunk of ice, it immediately melted, releasing V in his usual human form. "Without him things may get rather difficult, but don't worry, by now he should be fixed!" She threw continuing to run away from chasing her Plutia. As Neptune assumed, the latter would vent her frustration on anyone who came in sight, so since she was pretty much exhausted, she didn't interfere, especially as Sylvette seemed somehow amused by that.

"It's been fun; however, we should be going." After a while, Sylvette hastened and jumped into leading to the exit corridor. "Salutations, CPUs, but I'd prefer to be far away when this guy wakes up." She frowned and then departed. "Wait! There's one more thing!" Neptune rushed after her. "What is it, Lady Purple Heart?" In the last moment Sylvette turned around. "What… No. Whom is really V?" It was something she had to know. Despite his clear antagonism, she still couldn't fully reject him, even though she was aware of her own naivete. "Didn't he say himself? He's all of us and we are all V, Lady Purple Heart…" Leaving Neptune with such a cryptic answer, Sylvette vanished in a blink of an eye.

Giving up on following that mysterious woman, Neptune returned to others. "Hey, I can see you're breathing. Wake up, bastard." Iris Heart put her heel on V's forehead. "Plutia, maybe you shouldn't… What if he snaps at us again?" Terrified by this idea Nepgear attempted to reason with her although she had quickly withdrawn after just a single gaze. "If he does, I'll make sure he's going to regret it. This time I'll have you kneel and lick my shoes. Isn't it your biggest dream, right?" "Hnnngh…" At that moment V groaned.

"He actually agreed? What an obedient dog…" Ignoring this remark, the man slowly raised and opened his heterochromatic eyes. He seemed not to show any signs of aggression, but same went for other emotions. "You should've listened to her… I can tell when she's lying and now, she wasn't messing around." He spoke up in a calm tone. "What about you?" Purple Heart attempted to make contact with him, however, his gaze was empty. "Don't waste time. Go. Hurry." "That chick said we'll need to use you. Get up, you're coming with us." Even though Iris Heart pressed her sword against his neck, he wasn't anyhow bothered by it. "I'm not a tool and even if I were one, you would have no use of me…" "Tch, let's leave him here. He's already broken from what I can tell…" Turning around, Plutia bit her lip in disappointment. "Guys?"

However, neither Neptune nor Nepgear didn't move anywhere. "Who are you?" Purple Heart inquired but her question resulted only in silence. "…" "What's your name?" She rephrased and it looked as if it was the right call. "…I no longer know that."

Hearing that, Neptune already figured out that the person sitting in front of her wasn't V or her former Secretary Michael Runcorn. Though he reassembled them both, this man was an empty husk of someone who lost his identity and purpose of living. Alone, he wouldn't be able to regain it, so Neptune made a decision to reach out to him and help with that.

"How do you want to be called then?" She knelt next to him and placed her hand on top of his. "…!" Though he didn't know how to react, he didn't move or look away. "If you can't make a decision, I'll do that for you. From now on, you can be Michael V Runcorn. It's nothing particularly creative but until you find your true self you can use those names as yours. I'm sure neither of them would object." Purple Heart gently smiled. Despite her own misgivings, she felt that it was something that needed be done not only for his sake. Perhaps she would never discover the truth of what happened three years ago, however, the memory of the strange visitor from another world didn't allow her to move on yet. Especially not after today. Therefore, it wasn't like she wished to substitute her old friend, but rather, she wanted his memory to live on in this man and same applied to V. Although he turned out to be an extremely dangerous and unpredictable individual, the fact of his existence was undeniable and that alone was a basis not to deny him right to be remembered.

"Michael 'V' Runcorn…" The man let out an empty laugh and then, rapidly stood up. "You're right. I'm both of them. Haha… They are equal parts of me and I don't have to choose. I can pick the best traits and become someone better!" With each second colors were gradually returning to his pale skin and glimmer of hope to his eyes. "Thanks. That was exactly what I needed!" Suddenly, Michael clapped and raising his arm up, created a beam of pulsing energy, which transfiguring the structure of the stone, let out sunlight to the dark cave.

"I know how badly I messed up and I won't blame some other factor for it. I'm going to take responsibility for all of my actions, I swear it. First, I'll begin with apologizing to you, Neptune, Plutia and you, Nepgear." Saying that, he lowered his head. "You can decide what to do with me later, but now, I must ask you for a favor. Neptune, do you think you can carry me? I don't want to slow you down if my body doesn't respond as well as it used to…" "Sure." Purple Heart nodded. "Thank you. Once again, please forgive me one day… But more importantly, we have to hurry! Putting together what I knew before and since Sylvette was joking around something this way, it means Planeptune is in real danger!"

For the most way back to the capital no one spoke a word as a mixture of awkwardness around Michael V's presence and pressure of uncertainty created a heavy atmosphere on freshly formed party. In addition to that, the closer they were, the more visible were trails of destruction.

"That doesn't look good…" Purple Heart commented. Since it was her nation, it was natural that she was the one to worry most. "Yeah." Added Michael, though his tone lacked signs of being serious. In spite of that emotional outburst back in Noma Cave, Neptune didn't know how to feel about him yet as his behavior indeed displayed signs of both personalities he had been named after. "Look. Vanguard is descending." With his head he pointed out that Plutia and Nepgear were lowering their trajectory of flight. "Right. We should join them then." The goddess announced and did just that.

As their landing spot they had chosen a forest covered hill. It was a rather monumental space, so even though the distance to the capital was still in kilometers, while looking to the east Planeptune City could be seen. However, the usually beautiful sight had been now destroyed. "My goodness!" Nepgear loudly gasped and covered her face with her hands. "Just screw that ominous bitch…" Even Iris Heart was shocked, so as Neptune slowly walked towards them, her head was filled with millions of possible disaster scenarios. Her heart was beating in a crazy pace and her legs were shaking, but despite that, she didn't run away.

"Oh, no…" She muttered, nearly fainting. A large army was situated on fields between them and the capital. Thousands of different types of battle machines and nearly as much of human troops. "Just what's going on?" Purple Heart feebly asked no one in particular, hoping that somebody would tell her that it was just a hallucination, a mirage created by her tired brain and not the actual state of things. She wished to hear that her home – Planeptune City wasn't under siege.

"Michael…? What should we do?" Nepgear and Plutia might have been goddesses like her, but it was him, in whom Neptune sought support. Although Michael wasn't at her side and when she turned around, she saw him aiming his sword at someone.

"Waagh! Please, don't shoot!" A man in a black coat with golden buttons screeched, nearly dropping his matching trilby hat, to which a big falcon's feather had been attached. "Only if you stay silent. Besides, that's a sword, moron." "Ah, okay…" Michael sighed, evidently mentally exhausted by this bizarre dreamy blue-eyed intruder.

"Who are you, scum? A part of them, perhaps?" Iris Heart entered the conversation. "That's exactly what I wanted to check too. But he spotted me first, ehehe. By the way, cool image, dude. Are you wearing lenses?" The man avoided the question, though he quickly must have come to regret it as irritated Michael pressed his weapon closer to his chest. "Don't beat around the bush. Your name?" Seeing that there was no other choice, the man in black suddenly jumped and with a little awkward salute, he introduced himself. "Ultimate Hunter, Christopher Sparrow, sir! At your service."

"Let's pray there won't be the need…" Michael whispered and then returned to the problematic guest. "You used some sort of title, didn't you? What does it mean?" "Never heard of ultimate talents?" Christopher seemed genuinely bewildered. "Damn, just where the hell I got to? People look at me as if I were crazy when I mention Ultimates, but second later, they talk about some weird goddesses…" "Hey, we aren't weird." Purple Heart interrupted him without thinking. " _We_?" Sparrow's eyes locked at Neptune, then moved to Plutia and finally, to Nepgear, who intimidated by his gaze, hid behind her older sister.

"Yeah, they are. I have too much of my own problems to bother with under what rock you grew up, so I recommend you should return there asap as this area is going to soon become even more of a battlefield than it already is." "You are going to attack? With just four people? Let me help too! I need to reach this town anyway." Christopher volunteered although Michael instantly rejected his offer. "No offense if I'm judging book by its cover, but you look like a deadweight and I'm not going to throw away anyone's life." "Comparing to you guys, that might be true, but on the other hand, I have this!"

Unexpectedly, at that moment Sparrow literally took a rocket launcher out of his sleeve. "What… the… heck?!" Michael's reaction perfectly summarized what had just happened. Though magic and many wonders could be found at every corner of the world of Gamindustri, something like that could be counted as yet another miracle. "I have no clue how I can do that but it's super practical! You wouldn't believe how many guns I have on me right now." Ultimate Hunter's eyes sparked with passion and because of that, he didn't even notice that he was no longer threatened.

"Fine. But you must remember one thing – you are responsible for yourself. Don't plan on dying as others may not be able to aid you." Lowering his sword, Michael turned around and began to walk in the direction of enemy army. "However, we will need help from one more person beforehand…" He stopped and grabbing his index finger, he broke it out.

" **To undo the seal on your own… Either you are a one brave person or a complete fool. Or perhaps both…** " CPUs quickly recognized the chilling voice of V. "Don't go ahead of yourself. You work for me from today onwards." " **Ha, funny. And why exactly I should listen to you, boy?** " "Because I am you and you are me. Our paths are inseparable no matter what either of us do. Therefore, I'm not going to reject you. I'll embrace the darkness you spoke of and make it my strength in need." " **…** "

V didn't reply for a while and everyone, excluding Sparrow held their breath too. "Hey, he doesn't have any screws loose, does he?" But he had been quieted down by Iris Heart with a solid punch to the solar plexus.

" **Very well then. I may have misjudged your resolve. Physical strength is not everything as mental one is also required and I respect all kinds of power. I shall lend you my abilities, however, only if you satisfy me with answer to a single question, which is – what will be the first thing you do after you acquire it?** " "You ask what? Isn't it obvious? I'm going to raise hell to assholes who tried to hurt those I care about." Michael's response was firm and unshaken. " **Hahaha. An answer befitting a real man. Yes, you were correct. I am thou and thou art I, so until the end of your days arrives, you gained an ally in me.** " V's laugh faded as Michael fixed his joints and without looking behind, began to descend down the hill. Having no other choice, Sparrow trotted alongside after him and goddesses followed after them as well.


End file.
